Be My Valentine
by LoisAndClarkSuperfan
Summary: As Dobie and his ex-wife Zelda await the arrival of their new grandson, they are both forced to reflect on their own relationship and question some of the choices they've made in the past. Is it too late to make things right?
1. Chapter 1

They had been sitting across from each other all evening, both pretending the other wasn't there. It was funny how life could change so drastically; how people who used to know each other, _love_ each other, could turn into total strangers. Then again, maybe they'd always been strangers. No matter how many years they had spent together, they were never going to be the romantic couple she had always dreamed they would become. No matter how hard he pretended otherwise, she was never going to be the one he wanted. They made it work for a long time, but that time was over. She was glad he had fallen asleep. At least now she didn't have to pretend like she didn't notice him ignoring her. She didn't have to pretend like she cared.

"Grandma?" the bright-eyed girl raised her head up from her grandmother's lap and yawned. "How long does it take to have a baby? I'm tired." She lay her head back down as her grandmother stroked her long, dark hair.

Zelda smiled, "Gracie, It takes a while. I know you're tired sweetie." She glanced at Dobie, asleep in the chair across the room. A paper heart, part of the hospital's Valentine's Day décor had fallen off the wall on landed conspicuously on the shoulder of his plaid shirt. Zelda nodded towards him, "Why don't you ask Grandpa to take you and your sister home? He's tired too."

The ten year old walked over and pulled the lacy pink heart from her grandfather's shoulder, startling him awake. He jumped at first, and then smiled, "Hey princess, how are you holding up? Are you a big sister yet?"

The girl shook her head, taking a moment to stick the pink heart back on the wall, "Grandma says you can take us home," she looked at her older sister curled up on the brown sofa in the hospital waiting room. "Please…I'm tired."

Dobie glanced at Zelda, sitting across from him, "Why can't you take them home? I want to be here when my first grandson comes into the world."

"Well so do I," Zelda sighed. Why did he always have to make everything about what he wanted. He had always been like that. "Besides, I'm the only one up here who can stay awake. You've been sawing logs for over an hour, and the kids are tired. Just take them home and I'll call when the baby gets here."

The heart fell once again from where Gracie had stuck it, this time landing in Dobie's lap. He picked it up and tossed it into the trashcan beside him. "Fine," Dobie stood slowly and stretched. His back and knees hurt from sitting for so long, instantly reminding him that he wasn't as young as he used to be. He smiled at his granddaughter, "Come on princess," he took her hand and walked over to where his older granddaughter lay snoring. He gently shook her awake, "Come on honey…we're going home to wait for the baby news."

Sixteen year old Greta looked at her grandfather and shook her head. "No…I want to stay."

"Grandma's gonna call when your new brother is born," Dobie said with a yawn. "Come on. We'll come back in the morning."

"No," Greta looked at him, her eyes piercing. She always looked so serious, always seemed wise beyond her years. Whenever he looked at her, all he could see was Zelda. Greta definitely took after her grandmother in more ways than one. "I'm staying. Take Gracie home. I'll stay and keep Grandma company."

Dobie turned to his ex-wife, "I guess she's staying with you," he said. Then he walked towards the door. Turning he sighed, "Call…as soon as the baby gets here."

"I said I would," Zelda promised again, a hint of frustration in her voice. She hugged Gracie and kissed her on the cheek, "Be good for Grandpa and get some sleep."

"I will Grandma," the little girl smiled. She walked back to her grandfather and giggled as another paper heart, this one cut from red foil fell to the ground at his feet. Dobie rolled his eyes, "Valentine's Day," he said with disgust, but then looking at his granddaughter he had to smile. He picked up the heart and stuck it gently to her green Justin Beiber T-shirt. "I know I'm not as cute as this music fella you've got a crush on, but maybe I can be your valentine this year anyway," he winked at her.

"Sure Grandpa," she giggled again, wrinkling her curled up nose. Then she took her grandfather's hand and walked out the door. Zelda watched them go, and gave a sad sigh. Then she looked at her older granddaughter who was now sitting on the sofa looking at a magazine.

"What are you reading about?" she asked, trying to pass the time.

"How to tell if the one you love, really loves you back" the girl said looking up from her magazine. "It's pure drivel. Stupid Valentine's Day." She sighed, "I hope Mom's okay." There was obvious concern in her voice.

"Oh honey, I'm sure she's fine. It takes a long time to have a baby." Zelda assured her. Although looking at the clock she had to admit she was getting a bit anxious herself.

"I guess," Greta looked at the clock too and knew they had been waiting for over four hours. "Hey, remember when Gracie was born and me, you, and Grandpa spent the night here?" she asked with a chuckle. "I was so excited that I couldn't sleep and Grandpa kept buying me soda and candy from the snack machine. Then he was carrying me around the room on his shoulders and you kept telling him to put me down, but he wouldn't and I puked all over him."

Zelda laughed, remembering that day all too well, "Of course I remember. Your grandfather never had the good sense to listen to me."

Greta's smile faded, "Grandma, how come you and Grandpa got married anyway. You've never gotten along."

"That's not true," Zelda replied quickly. "We've always had our little problems, but we used to…well, we used to be okay."

"Okay isn't true love, Grandma," the girl said with a sad smile. "No one wants to be _just okay_ with the person they're married to. Heck, Gracie probably has more love for Justin Beiber than you and Grandpa have for each other."

"That's not true," Zelda argued. "I love your grandfather. We're just not _in_ love."

"Then you probably shouldn't have gotten married," Greta said matter-of-factly, paying little-mind to how her words had made her grandmother's heart ache.

Zelda nodded, "You're right." She whispered to herself, "I guess that's why we're not married anymore."


	2. Chapter 2

Zelda looked through her granddaughter's teen magazine. She had started reading just to pass the time, but she had to admit she was finding it to be an interesting look into modern teen life. She hadn't been a teenager for fifty years, and from the looks of things she was glad she didn't have to live through those years in today's society. She'd had enough problems back then and couldn't imagine adding social media, cyber bullying, sexting, and the gazillion other things teens today had to deal with into the mix. It made her sad for her granddaughters. "Mom," George Gillis rushed into the waiting room high on adrenalin, forcing his mother to look up from her reading.

"Oh Georgie, is he here? Is everything okay?" Zelda asked with excitement.

George shook his head, "He's not here yet. Everything's okay…just taking a while." He sat down next to his mother, exhaustion suddenly taking over. He looked at his watch, "Wow, it's after one in the morning. Where are Dad and the girls?"

"Your dad took Gracie home. She was tired. They both were," Zelda yawned, realizing how tired she was as well. "Greta went to the bathroom to splash some water on her face. She's determined to stay and wait it out. You should have heard her arguing with your father about leaving. She's stubborn."

George nodded, "Yeah…she's like that…so intense about everything." He took a deep breath, "I'm so glad this one is a boy."

"Georgie," Zelda said with a twinge of sadness in her voice. She had spent too many years listening to her own father express his disappointment at having a houseful of girls that she would never want her own granddaughters to feel the same way. "You haven't said anything like that to Gracie or Greta have you?"

George smiled, "No Mom," he kissed her on the cheek, "Of course not. And I didn't mean it the way it sounded. Girls are just a handful for me. I don't understand them sometimes."

Zelda snickered, "You and your father have that in common."

"Hey, this is a happy occasion…not a night to bash Dad," George said seriously.

"I know…I'm sorry," Zelda apologized. She had been joking, but she should have known better. Georgie had taken their separation harder than anyone, even though he had been an adult with a family of his own at the time. He just hadn't expected it. "Get back in there," she ruffled her fingers through his red hair and smiled. "Your wife needs you."

George squeezed his mother's hand and then headed back to his wife.


	3. Chapter 3

Gracie had run upstairs to her father's old bedroom and was already sound asleep by the time Dobie locked the front door and climbed the stairs to tuck her in. She had the red foil heart from the hospital in her hand, and it was beginning to crinkle. Dobie gently pried it from her fingers and sat it on the small chest of drawers near the bed. He pulled the covers under the little girl's chin and smiled, bending down to kiss her forehead. Then he turned off the light and closed the door, leaving it open just a bit in case she needed something in the night, the way he used to do when his son was little.

When they left the hospital, he had planned to take Gracie to his apartment, the one above the Gillis Grocery Store where he had been staying since he and Zelda split up. Gracie had other plans though. She wanted to stay at her grandmother's house, where she could sleep in a bed instead of on the couch, watch cable TV, and get on the computer to share the news of her new baby brother's arrival. In the five years since they had divorced, Dobie hadn't bothered to turn the old apartment into a home, so he didn't blame his granddaughter for not wanting to go there. Most of the time he didn't want to be there either.

He walked across the hall to the bedroom he used to share with his wife, took off his shoes and sat down on the blue floral bedspread. He took his cell phone from his pocket and noticed a flashing icon on the screen that indicated there was a new text message. Georgie had given both of his parents cell phones for Christmas a couple of years earlier, insistent that they should learn how to use them…join the twenty-first century. Zelda had taken to hers right away and used it more than the home phone now, but Dobie never really got the hang of it. He could make a simple call if he needed to, but half the time he couldn't answer it when it rang and texting seemed stupid to him. If he wanted to say something to someone he could call them or better yet, talk to them in person. He fidgeted with the buttons until the message finally appeared on the screen and he saw it was an update from Zelda "No baby yet, but everything is fine." He wasn't sure how to reply, so he just put the phone on the nightstand and hoped she would call on the "real" phone once the baby was born.

Leaning back, he realized how much he missed sleeping in a comfortable bed. The bed he had at the apartment had old and lumpy twin mattress that left him tired and sore in the morning. He put his head on the soft pillow and closed his eyes, but opened them again quickly when he felt a hard lump under the pillow. He sat up and reached his hand under the pillow, pulling out a thick photo album that had been tucked behind the pillows. He figured his ex-wife had probably had a bout of sentimental nostalgia at the thought of their new grandson's arrival and had spent the previous night looking back on their family. He smiled slightly at the thought, and put the album on the nightstand next to his cell phone, but suddenly he felt more awake than he had been and decided that maybe he wanted to take the same trip down memory lane. He picked up the album and turned gently to the first page.


	4. Chapter 4

Dobie couldn't remember a time when Zelda wasn't a part of his life. He'd spent most of his teen years running from her, trying to convince her that he wasn't interested in her advances, even going so far as to try to convince other boys in town to take an interest in her, but nothing had worked. He couldn't remember when exactly he had gone from wanting to run from her, to wanting to be caught. Yet at S. Peter Pryor Junior College, there were times that he felt maybe he could settle down with her, even going so far as to call her his girlfriend, but then another girl would come along and he always found the newness more interesting and desirable. Eventually Zelda was tired of the pursuit and Dobie knew he wasn't going to settle down and they decided they would be better off as friends, both graduating from junior college single and with no real romantic prospects in sight.

It wasn't long before Dobie started to think he had made a mistake. Working in his father's grocery store was not enough for him. He wanted more…a wife, children…and he hadn't found anyone since Zelda who shared his dreams. Still, he felt too young to settle down; wanted to find something else to fulfill his dreams and so he decided, to the surprise of everyone, to continue his education. That year he packed up his things and moved out of state where he attended pharmacy school.

He had been frightened of school, and rightfully so. He had never gone to school without Zelda by his side. She was smarter than him; everyone knew that. If it hadn't been for her, Dobie was sure he never would have made it through high school or junior college, and now he was planning to complete a four year science degree without anyone to lean on for support. Yet he surprised everyone, especially himself, when he was able to keep his grades respectable. In fact, he learned to enjoy school and found so many new and exciting things to occupy his time that his life in Central City became a memory. That was until his mother called in December of 1967, just as Dobie was preparing to graduate in the mid-year class, to tell him his father had suffered a heart attack and wasn't going to be able to run the store full-time anymore. The sorrow in her voice told him it was serious and he knew he had to go home and take over, and for the first time in his life he felt grown up enough to do it.

Dobie arrived in Central City on New Year's Eve with his pharmacy degree in hand and plans to expand his father's small store into a grocery store/pharmacy. In the back of his mind, he also had plans for his personal life. He had decided that if he was responsible enough to graduate from college, mature enough to run the Gillis Grocery Store, that he was also ready to settle down and get married; and since he hadn't dated anyone special while he was focusing on his degree he decided Zelda was probably the best choice for him. So that day, after he had kissed his mother "hello" and hugged his father, he called Zelda to invite her to a party his parents were throwing in his honor that night; a combination "Welcome Home" and "Happy New Year" party and he was genuinely happy when she said she would come.

The party was in full swing by the time Dobie answered the door and saw Zelda staring back at him. He hadn't seen her in four years, but she looked the same. He smiled and reached out to hug her, and she hugged him back and said she was happy for him that he had found his nitch in pharmacy school. Dobie wondered briefly if Zelda was jealous. His mother had told him Zelda had spent the past four years working at the First Osborne Bank as a teller, a job Dobie knew didn't come close to anything she had ever imagined for herself. Zelda would have been much better suited for college than him, but with eight daughters there was no way her parents could have paid to send her and in that day and age there were far less women with college degrees anyway. It just wasn't in the cards for her.

"I'm sorry we're a little late," Dobie was brought back from his thoughts as a man he didn't know came up to him and shook his hand. He was confused at first, and then the man put his arm around Zelda and smiled and Dobie realized they were together. His heart sank. Zelda wasn't jealous that he had gone to college and left her behind. She was happy he had freed her to find someone else.

"This is John," Zelda introduced them. "John, this is Dobie."

"Nice to meet you," John smiled genuinely. "Zelda talks about you often. I know she's glad you're back in town."

"I'm glad to be back," Dobie hoped the disappointment didn't show in his voice. He motioned into the living room where other friends were talking and listening to music. "Come on in." Then he watched as John, his arm embracing her waist, led Zelda into the living room.

The rest of the night Dobie tried his best to maintain the façade of happiness. He chatted with his friends, most of whom he hadn't seen since he had left for school. Some were married now; a few even had children. Every once in a while someone would ask him about Maynard and Dobie would tell them he hadn't seen his friend since Maynard left to travel in Europe the month before Dobie had gone off to school. He worried about his friend, but Maynard wasn't the kind of person you could really keep track of and in his heart Dobie knew he was okay, even if he did miss him. Before midnight, his father, still recovering from his heart attack, decided he was too tired to continue at the party, so Dobie's parents went to bed. Dobie hated to admit it, but he was ready for the party to end too. It just wasn't what he had expected. These people didn't seem like the same friends he had left behind and they didn't have much in common anymore. So it wasn't too long after the clock struck twelve that most of the guests had said their good-byes and Dobie was left with nothing more than the party remnants.

"This is some mess," Zelda's voice surprised him as he looked up from picking up empty drink bottles that cluttered the room. "You want some help?"

"Where's John?" Dobie asked, expecting to see him coming around the corner offering to help as well. That was the last thing he needed or wanted right now.

"He went home," Zelda answered. "He has to work tomorrow."

"On New Year's Day?" Dobie questioned.

Zelda nodded and knelt down to help pick up trash scattered across the floor. "He's a security guard at the bank. They pay extra if he works on holidays…so he does. I told him I wanted to stay and help. You can walk me home later."

"How long have you two been together?" Dobie asked, not sure he really wanted to know. He watched as Zelda continued to clean up his parent's living room. He suddenly realized he had been wrong earlier in the evening when he had thought she looked the same as always. She definitely looked different. Her hair was down for one thing, something she had rarely done before and her dress was short and modern showing off her body in a way he wasn't used to seeing. He had to take his eyes off of her and focus on the cleaning before she noticed his stare.

"Almost a year," Zelda answered. "He's a nice guy, Dobie. I think you'll like him."

"Sure, he seems nice," Dobie lied. He already hated him.

"He asked me to marry him," Zelda stopped cleaning and looked seriously at Dobie. Dobie dropped the bottle in his hand and it shattered as it hit the corner of the coffee table. Reaching down to pick up the broken glass, he sliced his finger and the blood started dripping down his hand. "God Dobie," Zelda rushed over to him and wrapped his finger in a paper napkin that was sitting on the table. "You might need stitches."

Dobie shook his head, "It's not bad. I'll be fine." His finger might be okay, but his heart was breaking. "You should get home. It's late," he said softly.

Zelda gently pulled the napkin from his finger and saw that the cut wasn't as bad as it had looked at first. "I guess you'll be okay," she whispered. She continued to clean up, "Your mom isn't going to want to wake up to this mess tomorrow. Let me help clean it all up and then I'll go." She sat down on the sofa and started emptying ashtrays into a garbage bag. "One of these days people are going to realize smoking is bad for you," she said with a look of disgust.

Dobie sat next to her, "I don't think you should marry him," he said seriously. "I don't think you're ready."

"Don't be silly," she gave a slight chuckle. "I'm almost twenty-six. If I don't get married soon people are going to think there's something wrong with me." She gave a miserable sigh, "Most people already do…"

Dobie reached out and grabbed the ashtray from her hand, sitting it on the table. Then he put his arms around her, pulling her close to him and kissing her gently on the lips. At first he was afraid she would push him away, but all she did was drop the garbage bag.


	5. Chapter 5

"Your phone's going off," Greta tapped her grandmother on the shoulder. Zelda opened her eyes, annoyed that she had fallen asleep waiting for the news of her grandson's arrival. She looked down at the phone, at first thinking it might be Dobie checking to see if the baby had been born yet, but rethinking that once she remembered that he couldn't seem to master the simple task of using his cell phone. She looked at the message and smiled. "Who is it?" Greta asked. "Grandpa?"

Zelda shook her head, "No, it's your Aunt Gwen. She just wanted to know if there was any news yet." She quickly sent her daughter a text similar to the one she had sent Dobie earlier. Gwen had been living in California since she had graduated from college, and while Zelda missed her she was glad her daughter was happy. She knew Central City had nothing to offer a forty-something, single, corporate lawyer. Gwen was much better off in the city where there were more opportunities to further her career or even to meet someone she could settle down with, although Gwen would be the first one to admit she had given up on finding love. Zelda had even thought about moving to California after the divorce so they could be closer, but she didn't want to leave Georgie or her granddaughters either. So for the time being she was forced to rely on text messages, emails, and the occasional phone call.

"She called yesterday," Greta remembered, "When I was at your house. I'm sorry I forgot to tell you."

"That's okay," Zelda smiled. "I'm glad she called though. I'll call her back later. Did she say what she wanted?"

Greta shook her head, "No, she just asked for you and I told her you were at the store. She said she'd call Grandpa instead. I would have told you, but I was going through the old photo albums and I forgot."

Zelda shrugged, "It's no big deal," she said, even though she was sad she had missed her daughter's phone call. "Why were you going through the photo albums?"

"Dad wanted me to find one of his baby pictures so he could see if the new baby looks like him," Greta laughed. "I found one for him, but I forgot to bring it. I started looking at the one with you and Grandpa's wedding pictures in it and then Dad came and said we had to go." She gave her grandmother a mischievous look, "I was in such a hurry that I just stuck it behind your pillow instead of putting it back in the closet. Sorry."

Zelda laughed. For a girl who was smart enough to maintain a straight A average, her granddaughter had the uncharacteristic habit of always sticking things in places where they didn't belong and then forgetting about them, so she figured it was a good thing she remembered where she put the album at all. "It's okay, honey," she smiled. "I'm glad you had fun looking at the pictures. Maybe we can look at them together sometime."

Greta nodded, "You looked really pretty," she said honestly. "At your wedding. You looked happy. So did Grandpa."

Zelda nodded, "See…I told you things used to be okay." She pulled her granddaughter close to her and kissed her on the top of the head. Then she let her mind wander as the girl leaned into her and fell asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

New Year's morning, Zelda unlocked her apartment door, quickly looking around to make sure that none of her nosy neighbors were around. The last thing she needed was for some busy-body to catch her coming in at 5:00 AM still dressed in her clothes from the night before. It had been bad enough trying to leave Dobie's apartment without his parents catching her. Luckily, they had remained sound asleep. Letting herself into the apartment, she tossed her keys on the table and sat down on the fold-out couch. She looked around the tiny one-room apartment and sighed in disgust.

She spent half the day scrubbing her apartment, something she rarely did but since she lived alone she didn't really _need_ to deep clean very often anyway. By noon she was done and left with nothing to keep her mind off the night before. She didn't know what she had expected when Dobie had called to invite her to his homecoming party, but she definitely thought bringing John with her would keep her from falling for Dobie all over again. After all, John _was_ a good guy. He wanted to marry her when Dobie never had. He was good for her. John loved her, and she had betrayed him.

A knock at the door surprised her and she walked over to answer it. Looking through the peep hole her heart sunk a bit when she saw John standing on the other side. She pulled the door open, a fake smile plastered on her face, "What are you doing here?" she asked. "I thought you had to work?"

"I did," John leaned in and kissed her and for the first time Zelda felt herself pull away from him. John obviously noticed, but didn't say anything. "I got off at noon. I thought maybe we could go over to my mother's house. She's been saving my grandmother's engagement ring for us, and I think it's time you started wearing it…don't you?"

"I'm really busy today," Zelda lied. "I'm doing some deep cleaning. You know, starting the year off fresh." She glanced down at her jeans and sweatshirt, "I'm not dressed for a trip to your mother's."

"Well you can change," John put his arm around her and led her to the sofa where they sat. "Please…I want you to have the ring." He kissed her again, and Zelda felt her pulse begin to race. Here she was, sitting with her fiancé, the man she was supposed to love for the rest of her life, the man she hadn't let do anything more than kiss her…and she had just spent the night with someone she wasn't sure even cared about her. At that moment, she hated herself.

"I don't want to go today," she said, a lump in her throat.

"What's wrong?" John asked, recognizing that his fiancée was not acting like herself. "Are you mad that I left you at that party last night? I told you I would bring you home, but you seemed like you really wanted to stay."

"I'm not mad," Zelda felt the tears stinging her eyes and she didn't want to say what needed to be said, but she couldn't go on living a lie either. "I just…" she sniffled. "I don't want to get married."

John's face turned pale. He couldn't believe what he had heard. "Sure you do," he whispered. "We've been planning this for months. We'll get the ring, and you can wear it…we don't have to get married right now, but we can start planning…"

"I don't want to marry you," Zelda said honestly. She let her tears fall because she did care about John and she knew she was breaking his heart. She'd never felt anything like that before. She was always the one with the broken heart, never the one doing the breaking. Right now she thought this was worse. "I'm sorry…"

John looked confused, "Why? I thought we…I thought you loved me?"

Zelda couldn't look him in the eye. She was ashamed of what she had done and she knew she could never make it right. "I cheated on you," she said. "You deserve better than that…better than me."

And suddenly realization hit him and John knew what had happened. He wasn't even bitter, which surprised him. Maybe he had always known he hadn't completely won her heart. He stood up and walked to the door, "I guess I _shouldn't_ have left you at that party last night," he said, his voice raspy as he tried to hold in the hurt he was feeling. "Have a good life," he sighed as he walked out the door.


	7. Chapter 7

It was a week before Zelda mustered up enough courage to walk into the Gillis Grocery Store and face Dobie. Her phone had been ringing all week, and she figured it was probably him, but she didn't feel emotionally ready to talk to him. She was relieved he hadn't shown up at her apartment. She pushed open the door, and noticed immediately the new construction at the back of the store; drywall still unpainted and metal shelves lining the walls. She wondered how long it would be until the new pharmacy department was complete. Dobie had seemed really excited about the expansion when he had told her about it on New Year's Eve.

Hearing the bell ring as the door opened, Dobie walked around the construction to the front of the store, expecting a customer. "Zelda…" his voice sounded both eager and nervous at the same time. "I've been trying to call you."

"I know," she said softly. "I just needed some time to think."

"I'm sorry about New Year's" he said seriously.

"You're sorry?" Zelda asked, her voice quivering. Maybe their night together had been nothing more than a dreadful mistake.

"No…I didn't mean it like that," Dobie said quickly. "I just mean…" he sighed, unsure of what to say. "I'm just sorry things went so far because I don't want you to be upset. I just want us to be okay."

Zelda nodded, "I broke up with John," she felt the familiar tears stinging her eyes. "I just couldn't string him on like this…I can't marry him…"

Dobie reached out and grabbed her, pulling her close to him, "I'm glad. I'm sorry for him, but I'm glad…"

He tried to kiss her, but she wouldn't let him and shook her head, "I broke his heart Dobie. I shouldn't have let the other night happen…not at all. I'll never forgive myself…"

"Hey…this was my fault," Dobie said honestly. "You shouldn't blame yourself…"

Zelda shook her head, "It was both of us," she had to be honest. "I wanted to be with you."

"Then why do you feel so guilty?" Dobie questioned. He wanted to pull her close, but was afraid she'd push him away again. "You shouldn't…"

"Yes I should," Zelda yelled, her voice louder than she wanted it to be. Suddenly she hoped Dobie's parents were upstairs and not somewhere near the store where they could hear her. She lowered her voice, "I betrayed the only man who ever loved me."

Dobie shook his head, "_I_ love you…"

"No you don't," Zelda snickered. "You just miss having me chasing after you. You miss having me to fall back on when your other romantic conquests don't work out."

"That's not true," Dobie insisted. "I've been gone for four years and I never found someone I loved the way I love you."

Zelda wasn't sure she believed him. This was all too familiar to her. Dobie, pretending to love her so he could keep her interested, but it always ended with him finding someone else and pushing her aside. She didn't think she could handle that again, especially after their night together. She had to be the one to call it quits this time, before he hurt her again. "I don't think I believe you," she said.

"Zelda," Dobie's face showed that he was shocked at his inability to win her over. "I'll prove how much I love you. I'll do anything…"

"_Really_?" Zelda asked in disbelief. She was starting to get angry with him and she wasn't even sure why.

"Really," he answered sincerely. "I love _you_. I don't want anyone else."

She took a deep breath and stared into his eyes, "Then find a way to prove it to me."


	8. Chapter 8

"Grandpa," Dobie's eyes fluttered open and he yawned. Suddenly he remembered he was in his old bed, at his old house and was startled that Gracie was waking him so anxiously. "Grandpa," she said again. "Grandma's on the phone. The baby's here!" The little girl could barely contain her excitement. "Can we go up there now? Please?"

"Give me the phone," Dobie said softly as Gracie handed him the receiver. He couldn't believe he hadn't heard it ring. He had stayed awake so late looking at pictures and had fallen asleep not long before, but obviously it was a deep sleep. "Hello?" he answered, and then listened as his ex-wife told him about their grandson's arrival. The little boy had been born at 5:32 AM and weighed almost nine pounds. "Gracie and I will be up there in a little bit," he smiled as he hung up the phone. He turned to his granddaughter, "You heard the phone ring all the way in the other room?"

She nodded with a smile, "I've been waiting," she said quickly. Then she laughed, "You were snoring so loud you couldn't hear the phone."

Dobie laughed as he stood up from the bed, "Well, that's always been my biggest shortcoming." He winked at his granddaughter. "Let's go see your little brother." He put his arm around her shoulder as they walked down the stairs.

A short while later they arrived at the hospital and walked into the same waiting room, over-decorated with hearts and glitter. Gracie ran to her grandmother and hugged her, "Have you seen him?" she asked. "Is he cute?"

Zelda smiled and shook her head, "They won't let us see him yet. Soon though." She kissed her granddaughter on the cheek, "Did you get some sleep sweetie?"

Gracie nodded, "Yes," she answered and then she went over and sat next to her older sister who was impatiently flipping through yet another magazine.

"What's his name?" Dobie asked, as he sat next to his ex-wife.

Zelda shrugged, "I don't know yet. Georgie didn't say, and you know how secretive they are about baby names."

Dobie laughed a little, "That's because when they were expecting Greta you shot down every single name they liked and made them miserable."

"They wanted to name her every new and trendy name in the book," Zelda argued. "I didn't want my granddaughter stuck with some prissy, snooty name that she'd have to live up to her whole life."

Dobie laughed, "Wasn't Prissy one of the names they liked?" he teased. Zelda rolled her eyes at him, and then chuckled. "Still," he reminded her, "It was their choice. You _hated_ it when people tried to tell us what to name our kids and then you did the same thing to them."

"I know," Zelda sighed. She thought back to all the arguments with Dobie's parents and her parents back when they were expecting their children and how stressful it had been. "But I've been better. I didn't say anything when Gracie was born and I haven't even asked about what they planned for this one…well not too much anyway," she laughed. "At least he wasn't born exactly _on_ Valentine's Day. They may have named him Valentino or something like that," she teased.

"Guess he's lucky he was born on the 13th," Dobie smiled, "He's going to be adorable," he whispered. "I don't think it will even matter what his name is." He instinctively reached out and squeezed her hand, "All of our grandkids are beautiful."

Zelda was surprised by his sentiment and nearly pulled her hand away, but then she thought about how nice it felt to sit next to him, to be on the same side of things for once, and squeezed his hand as well, "We do have beautiful grandchildren," she said softly, looking across the room at the girls. "We're lucky."

"Very lucky," Dobie agreed, thinking about the night before when he had reminisced through the pictures in the old photo album. There had been times since their divorce when he had thought things might have been better for both of them if he hadn't tried to win Zelda over; hadn't broken up her relationship with John. It was times like this though, waiting to meet their new grandson that he knew marrying her had been the best decision he had ever made, even if it had not lasted forever.


	9. Chapter 9

He had taken Zelda seriously when she had said to "prove" how much he loved her. He knew why she was skeptical. He hadn't been the best boyfriend to her in the past, not even the best _friend_ to her, and she did deserve better. Why wouldn't she think he was up to his old schemes again? Not that she hadn't done her fair share of scheming as well. Neither of them were innocent when it came to the way they had treated one another over the years.

When she left the Gillis Grocery that day, Dobie had plenty of time to think about how to win her over for good. Flowers, candy, romantic moonlit dates…those were all fine and good, but he needed more. He needed to make her feel wooed, but also like he was in this permanently, not just while things were fresh and new; and he had no idea how to do that. The following day, while he was making the store's daily deposit at the bank, he saw her standing at the counter and made his way through her line. "This is a sweet surprise," he grinned as he handed her the deposit across the counter.

"Oh right…some surprise," she couldn't help but smile. "I've worked here for four years."

"Well I haven't been in town," he said with a smile. "This will be nice, running into you when I make the deposits." He waited for her to hand him back the receipt. "Do you get a lunch break or something? Maybe we can grab a sandwich before I head back to the store?"

Zelda nodded and glanced at the clock, "Ten minutes," she replied. "Can you wait?"

"Sure," Dobie answered, happy she hadn't brushed him off. "I'll meet you outside."

He had been standing outside, leaning on one of the bank's stone pillars when he saw her walking out the glass doors. He smiled and grabbed her hand, "Ready?" he asked.

Zelda nodded, "I only have a half hour," she told him.

"That's fine," he leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips, hoping she wouldn't pull away and thrilled when she didn't, although he could tell the kiss was awkward. They walked into the café across the street and both ordered tuna sandwiches, and watching Zelda pick at hers Dobie suddenly realized she didn't look happy to be there with him. "Are you okay?" he asked.

She forced a smile, "Of course," she said, but then decided it would be better to tell the truth. "It's just hard going to work. You know, with John there. I feel guilty every time I see him, and he looks so hurt whenever he sees me. It just breaks my heart."

"Oh," Dobie whispered, the disappointment apparent in his voice. He wondered if she regretted breaking up with John because she'd hurt him, or if it was that she had loved this man more than she'd thought. "Are you saying you want to go back to him?" he asked bluntly.

"No," Zelda answered quickly. "I just feel so guilty. He's a nice guy." She gave a miserable sigh. "I just hate my job so much. It's pointless; I do the same thing day in and day out…and now I am making John miserable just by being there. It's all too much!"

Dobie saw a tear slide down her cheek, and he knew how much she was hurting. He wanted to make things right…to make her happy. He reached out and stroked her tear-stained cheek, "Don't cry," his voice was gentle. It'll all work out."

Zelda shook her head, "I don't see how," she said honestly.

"Maybe you don't have to work at the bank," Dobie suggested.

"Oh right," Zelda sighed, taking a bite of her sandwich. "There aren't a lot of jobs available in Central City and you know it. I've been lucky to have this one as long as I have."

An idea came to him, but he was unsure how she would take his suggestion. He knew he had to ask anyway. He'd wanted to prove to her that he was in this for good, and maybe this would do it. "Maybe," he said slowly, "You would want to come and work with me…at the store. My dad won't be back to work for a while, and Mom's busy with him. The pharmacy is opening soon and I won't be able to wait on customers and fill prescriptions. I could use the help…"

"I don't know," Zelda replied quickly. "It might be uncomfortable. I just don't want…"

"Stop," he interrupted her. "It won't be uncomfortable. It'll give us more time together. Give me more time to prove to you that I want to be in this together. Please?"

"You can't afford to hire someone," Zelda insisted. "And I can't pay my bills working for free."

"I'd have to hire someone anyway," Dobie insisted. "And the pharmacy will be bringing in more revenue. I _need_ the help, and you'd be perfect. You've always been there when I've needed help. You're not going to stop now, are you?"

Zelda looked into his pleading eyes and smiled, "I guess we can give it try."


	10. Chapter 10

Working at the store together had been much easier than Dobie had anticipated. Zelda knew the store inside and out from her time there as a teenager, and she was a whiz at the books, finding new ways to save and earn more money. The customers loved her, and her dedication to her work gave Dobie plenty of time to manage the new pharmacy department. Not to mention that just being there together for so many hours every day helped them continue to grow closer. After a couple of weeks, they had fallen into a simple routine that felt as though they had always run the store together. Although they had gone on several dates; to the movies or out to dinner, it was the time they spent together at the store that Dobie felt was doing the most good for their relationship and Zelda seemed happier; hadn't mentioned feeling guilty about John for quite some time. Things were going well, that was until Zelda stopped coming into work.

She had called, telling Dobie she was sick, and he was worried about her. He wanted to come over and check on her, but she insisted she was just a little under the weather and would be fine. After a few days, he was seriously concerned but when he called her she said she had the flu and was resting and would be back as soon as she could. After four days, he came to the conclusion that something was up. He felt like she was avoiding him; making excuses not to come to work. Not to mention things were falling apart at the store without her. He couldn't manage well by himself and had even had to ask his mother to fill in at times during the day so he could get prescriptions filled. On the fifth day he decided to pay her visit anyway, no matter how much she protested. Up to that point, things had been going so well between them that Dobie had planned a surprise proposal on Valentine's Day. He knew it seemed rushed, but he also knew that he had strung Zelda along for years and he didn't want to do it anymore. He wanted them to be together forever and for her to know he wanted that. He had already bought the ring, using every last cent of his savings and made reservations at the nicest restaurant in town. He'd been nervously planning the date for a couple of weeks. If things weren't going to work out between them, he deserved to know, even if he had to go to her apartment and force her to tell him the truth. So, after making the decision to face the problem head on, he was surprised when Zelda walked through the door that morning and went right to work as if nothing was wrong at all.

"You're back," he said with surprise when he saw her that morning. "Is everything okay?"

"Sure," Zelda nodded, "I'm feeling a little better." She started rearranging the display of valentine candy and cards as if everything was perfectly fine.

But Dobie knew things were not fine. When he looked at her, he could see that she looked pale and her eyes were puffy and red. She looked exhausted. She really had been sick and he had jumped to the conclusion that she was avoiding him. He felt terribly guilty. "You look miserable," he said with sympathy. "Maybe you should go back home?"

"I'm fine," Zelda insisted. "Besides, I can tell things have been falling apart around here without me." She finished the valentine display and began scrubbing down the counters and stacking things neatly on the wire rack near the register.

Dobie came up behind her, putting his arms around her and kissed her softly on the cheek. "I'm glad you're back. I've missed you."

Zelda smiled, turning and kissing him softly on the lips. She pulled away from the kiss and took a deep breath, "I'm glad I'm back too." Dobie couldn't help but notice that she seemed to want to say something else, but then she stopped and went back to work.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked again.

"I'm just tired," Zelda replied. "I'll be fine. I promise."

Dobie nodded, not sure she was being completely honest with him, but then again Zelda was rarely sick and so this bout of flu had probably taken a lot out of her. "Tomorrow's Valentine's Day," he reminded her. "Do you think you'll feel well enough to go out?" He was hoping he could continue with his plan.

"Of course," Zelda smiled weakly and Dobie was afraid that she was only saying yes to the date to appease him. But then she kissed him again, this time with more passion than she had since their New Years Eve rendezvous and he knew she didn't want to miss the date either.


	11. Chapter 11

George Gillis walked into the waiting room where the whole family stood and rushed to him in anticipation. Zelda noticed her son's tired eyes and haggard face, but also the smile that told her he was overjoyed with his new son. "They won't let anyone in to see him yet," George explained. "But the nurse is going to bring him to the viewing window." He motioned to the window at the back of the room and everyone rushed over to it.

Gracie grabbed her father and hugged him, "Daddy, what's he look like? Is he adorable?"

"Absolutely adorable," George beamed as he hugged his daughter.

"Is Mom happy?" Greta asked, putting her arm around her father and sister.

"She's very happy," George nodded. He kissed his girls and then looked at his parents, "She wanted me to ask if you would call her parents and let them know the baby is here? She's so tired…"

"Of course," Zelda answered quickly. "So, what is this new little guy's name?" she asked, unable to hold her curiosity anymore, but before her question could be answered a nurse appeared at the window with the tiny blue bundle. "Ohhh…" she said in awe. "Georgie, he's perfect."

Dobie looked in admiration at his grandson through the viewing window and a warm smile overtook his whole face. His son and daughter-in-law had tried for years to have a third child, eventually resorting to fertility treatments to make their dream come true. He hadn't understood their actions at the time. He and Zelda had never had any problems conceiving their own children, so this was something new to him, and besides his son already had two children so this overwhelming desire for a third seemed silly. But looking at this baby boy with his pink scrunched up face and a tuft of his father's red hair, grabbing tightly to the nurse's finger, left Dobie with no greater wish at that moment than to snuggle him and let him hold tight to his own, "Georgie," he said, his eyes moist with tears. "I just love him, so much already."

George Gillis stood between his parents, an arm around each of them and was grateful for his many blessings that day. "His name is Dobie," he said softly. "We wanted to name him after his grandpa."

That news left Dobie speechless. He looked at his son, feeling remarkably honored and blessed. Then he looked at Zelda who had tears in her own eyes and he realized that none of this would have happened if it hadn't been for her. She made his life complete, and he had been denying that for far too long.

"His name suits him perfectly, Georgie," Zelda patted her son's hand and looked at her ex-husband. She wrinkled her nose at him, something she hadn't done in years, but something that she did involuntarily now. She hadn't expected to do it, and immediately wished she hadn't because she knew Dobie would get the wrong idea and she didn't want to cause a scene at such a special moment, but before she could even complete her thought, he surprised her by doing the same thing back to her…and he didn't even stop to say it was a reflex. Instead he simply turned back to the window to admire the new addition to the family.


	12. Chapter 12

"This has been a great morning," Dobie sighed as he followed his ex-wife and granddaughters through the front door of the house later that morning. "I can't believe we have a grandson," he beamed. "And they named him after me. I still can't believe that…"

"Well believe it," Zelda smiled. "He is so sweet. I can't wait to hold him." They were planning to go back to the hospital later during visiting hours, but had come home so the girls could get some rest. It had been a very long night for everyone. She looked at her granddaughters, "Are you two happy?" she asked.

"Yeah," Greta smiled. "He's so cute."

"I can't wait to bring him home," Gracie grinned.

"Well, you two should go up to bed," Zelda hugged and kissed them both. "Get some sleep and we'll go back in a few hours."

"You should get some sleep too, Grandma," Greta insisted. "You were awake all night."

"I will, in a while," Zelda promised. "I'm just too excited to sleep right now."

"Me too," Gracie insisted. "Besides, I slept when Grandpa brought me home last night. I'll stay up with you."

Zelda hugged her granddaughter, "You look tired sweetie."

"I'm not," the girl argued. "Besides, I need to stay up. I didn't go to school today and tomorrow is the Valentine's Day party and I haven't even made my cards yet. I should do that."

Zelda knew there was no way she was going to win this argument so she gave in, "Alright," she said softly. "There is some craft paper in the den. Have at it."

Gracie bounced off to the other room and Greta yawned, "Well I'm going to bed." She headed toward the stairs, "Oh yeah…I'll get that photo album I put under your pillow before I forget about it again."

"She put the album there?" Dobie asked, suddenly disappointed to learn it hadn't been Zelda who was reminiscing about the past. "I found it last night."

Zelda sat down in the living room and clicked on the television, "She said she was looking for one of Georgie's baby pictures. Don't you think the baby looks just like him. It was like looking into the past up at the hospital today."

"Yeah, I guess," Dobie didn't understand why he felt let down, but he did. "I should get to the store," he said, heading towards the door.

"What?" Zelda asked. "You can keep it closed today. Just this once." The store was never closed unless there was an emergency or a holiday, but today counted as such. A new baby was definitely as special as a holiday.

Dobie shook his head, "I have to open it," he sighed. "Tomorrow's Valentine's Day and we might get some last minute business. Lord knows we need it." He couldn't remember the last time the store had done well financially. Chain stores had taken over the area in the last couple of decades, and while he tried to maintain the friendly neighborhood store traditions to keep the regular customers, he just couldn't compete. The store was going under, and there was no doubt about it.

Zelda nodded knowingly, "Okay," she said gently. "We'll see you later then." She watched as he walked out the door and then as he drove away. She knew the store wasn't going to remain open much longer. Gwen and Georgie hadn't been interested in running it, and Dobie had never wanted to push his children into the family business, so it was becoming harder and harder for Dobie to run by himself, and since their divorce she hadn't made much of an effort to help him out either. She knew how much the store meant to him though, and she hated to think of him losing it. It was heartbreaking.

She clicked off the TV, and decided to go to bed afterall. She peeked in on Gracie who was diligently gluing glitter to paper hearts and then walked up to check on Greta who was snoring peacefully in Georgie's old room. Then she walked into her own room and smiled when she saw her granddaughter had forgotten yet again to put the album away. She sat on the bed, and opened it, smiling at her wedding picture, in awe of the fact that it had been over forty years ago.

"Grandma," Gracie's voice pulled Zelda back from her thoughts and she looked up at the little girl. "I made this for Grandpa," she held out a heart, covered with purple and pink glitter. "He said he's my valentine this year," the girl giggled.

Zelda smiled, "He will love it," she motioned for the little girl to sit next to her. "You know, your grandpa proposed to me on Valentine's Day?"

"Really?" she asked. "Then it's kind of like your anniversary."

"Sort of," Zelda agreed. "But that was a long time ago."

Gracie looked at the picture her grandmother had been staring at, "You should be Grandpa's valentine then," she said seriously. She left the heart on the nightstand and went back downstairs to work on the rest of her valentine cards.


	13. Chapter 13

Dobie unlocked the door to the store and flipped on the lights. Everything looked exactly the same as he had left it the day before. He walked over to the safe and unlocked it, taking out the money for the register. Then he straightened some of the shelves and wiped down the counters. After being open for over an hour, not one customer had come in.

He looked at the Valentine's Day display in front of the window and remembered when such a display would have brought it lot's of last minute customers, anxious to buy candy, cards, or flowers for the loves of their lives. He used to think Valentine's Day was a perfect time for couples to display their love for one another, and even people who didn't have someone special in their life could look at the day as hope for what they might have in the future. Now, it was nothing more to him than a way for the store to make some extra money, and it looked like this year it wasn't even going to be that.

As he continued to straighten up the displays, the phone rang and he reached over to answer it. He smiled when he heard his daughter's voice on the line, "Daddy," she said quickly. "Mom texted me about the baby. Little Dobie…how cute is that?"

"It's a big honor," Dobie admitted. "I am so proud to share my name with him. Just wait until you see him. He's adorable. Your mom will send you some pictures later."

"Well that's why I'm calling," Gwen said eagerly. "I was thinking, maybe I should come home for a visit…see Georgie and the girls, and the baby…you and Mom." She sighed, "What do you think?"

"Honey, we'd all love it if you came home," Dobie said, unable to hide his excitement. He hadn't seen his daughter in a long time. "Your mom won't be able to contain her excitement when you tell her."

"I thought maybe it could be a surprise," Gwen suggested. "I tried to call her yesterday to tell her, but Greta said she wasn't home, so I started thinking it would be fun to surprise her. What do you think?"

Dobie smiled, "I think that would be an amazing surprise."

"My plane will be in tomorrow," Gwen gave him the details. "Can you pick me up?"

"Sure," Dobie agreed. "This will be a hard secret to keep though."

"Thanks Daddy," Gwen's voice sounded happier than Dobie had heard in a long time. "And Daddy…I'm bringing a friend with me."

"A friend?" Dobie asked.

"Yeah," Gwen said quickly. "His name is Jack."

"_Jack_?" Dobie asked. "Is this a friend…or maybe something _more_ than that."

"You'll meet him tomorrow," Gwen replied. "You can grill him then, okay?" she sighed. "I love you…bye." She hung up the phone and Dobie shook his head. He wasn't sure what he thought about his daughter bringing this guy home. She'd never done that before, so it must be serious.

Suddenly the door opened and the chimes rang through the store. Grateful for the business, Dobie tried to put the phone call out of his mind, and went to sell a box of candy to a last minute valentine shopper.


	14. Chapter 14

Dobie splashed some aftershave on his face, combed his hair, and double checked to make sure his shoes were free of scuffs. He wanted to make sure everything was perfect for his Valentine's Day date. He had rehearsed over and over in his head how he was going to propose, but he was still nervous. He didn't know if he had done enough to prove to Zelda how much he loved her. Deep down, he was scared.

"You look so handsome," his mother reached out and straightened his tie. "I'm glad you and Zelda are going out. I know when you were younger I thought she was too pushy, but now…well you make a lovely couple."

"Thanks Mom," Dobie smiled. He had decided not to tell his parents that he planned to propose. He wasn't sure how they would react. He figured it would be better to wait until everything was certain. He grabbed the red roses he had purchased earlier in the day and the heart-shaped box of candy he had snatched from the display in the store, and headed to Zelda's apartment.

He hoped Zelda was feeling up to their date. She had still looked a little peaked at the store that morning, and eventually he had insisted she go home and rest. She argued that she was fine, but he reminded her that she needed to feel better in time for their valentine date so she had given in and gone home early. As he pulled his truck into a parking space near her apartment, he sighed. His palms were sweaty and his pulse was racing. He couldn't remember the last time he had been so nervous.

Zelda smiled when she opened the door, leaning in to kiss him. Dobie smiled as he pulled away from the kiss. "You look pretty," he whispered. "Really pretty." She was wearing a red dress, a little more low-cut than he was used to seeing on her. Her hair hung down to her shoulders in dark curls, and he noticed she didn't look nearly as tired as she had earlier in the day. Her cheeks were rosy, possibly the result of makeup, but her smile was genuine. She was feeling better _and_ glad to see him.

"You look good too," she kissed him again. "I can't wait for our date. This is our first real Valentine's Day together." Dobie nodded, handing her the candy and flowers. "Aww…thanks," she put the candy on the counter and filled a vase with water for the flowers. "You didn't have to do this."

"Of course I did," Dobie argued. "It's Valentine's Day…and I love you."

Zelda smiled as he took her arm and led her down the stairs of the apartment. When they opened the door, they both decided that the unusually mild weather would be perfect for a moonlit stroll. So, they bypassed the truck and walked to the restaurant. Holding hands the whole way, Zelda put her head on his shoulder and he could smell the strawberry shampoo she had used earlier that day. It was enticing, and all he wanted to do was hold her in his arms.

The restaurant was crowded and they were grateful for reservations so they could be seated quickly. After placing their orders with the waiter, Dobie decided that it was the right time to ask her to marry him. He didn't want to wait until after dinner; he didn't think he had the patience to wait that long. He slowly pulled the ring box out of his pocket, and placed it delicately in front of her. Zelda's eyes widened in surprise and she looked like she wanted to say something, but no words would come out.

"I know we haven't been an official couple for long," Dobie began, his voice shaking. "But Zelda, I love you. I was a fool to deny it for so long and I'm sorry. You told me I had to prove my love to you…so I am trying to do that now. Will you marry me?"

He opened the box, and watched as she stared at him, still not speaking. At first he was sure she was in shock, then he was worried that she was trying to think of a subtle way to turn him down. Finally she spoke, voice shaking, "Oh Dobie," she let her tears fall. "I wasn't expecting this…not now."

"I know," he said quickly. "But I love you. I want us to get married."

She bit her lip nervously, "I love you too," she cried and he wasn't sure if they were tears of joy or sorrow. "This ring…it's beautiful. I think it's too expensive…"

"No it's not," Dobie disagreed. "I want you to have it. Please, will you marry me?"

Zelda nodded tearfully, "Yes, of course." She leaned across the table and kissed him and he slipped the ring on her finger. She looked at the ring again, this time sparkling on her finger, "Dobie…I love the ring, but I think we should take it back and get a less expensive one."

Dobie was surprised that she was so caught up on the extravagance of her ring instead of on the fact that they were going to be married. "I want you to have this one," he insisted again. "It was expensive, but you deserve a nice ring."

"We might need the money," Zelda tried to persuade him. "And I don't need an expensive ring."

Dobie wasn't sure why Zelda was so worried about the money. He knew she had grown up without a lot of money, so maybe she was worried about them starting married life without a nest egg. "Honey, we don't need the money. Not right now…the store is doing well. We can get by easily…"

The waiter came to the table, bringing their food and ending their talk about the cost of the ring. Dobie watched as Zelda glanced at her ring between bites of pasta. She seemed genuinely worried about it, and he couldn't figure out why. He tried to put it out of his mind. After a few more bites, she put down her fork and looked at him, "Dobie, can we get out of here?" she asked anxiously.

He was surprised by her request. They had only just begun their dinner, and for someone who was worried about money she didn't seem to mind wasting the cost of the meal. "Don't you want to eat?" he asked.

Zelda shook her head, "I'm not feeling so great again," she sighed. "Please, can we just go?"

"Okay," Dobie said softly. He called the waiter over and paid the bill. Then he put his arm around her waist and led her outside. "Are you alright?" he asked. He was worried. He had never seen her act the way she was right now. Maybe she was just overwhelmed by the engagement, but he felt like it was something more.

"Oh Dobie…" she burst into tears and leaned her head into his chest. He stroked her hair and tried to calm her down, but he couldn't. He didn't even know why she was crying and it scared him to death.


	15. Chapter 15

Zelda wouldn't stop crying and it took all his strength to lead her to a bench at the park across the street. He sat down beside her and let her lay her head on his shoulder. Then he took her hand, and rubbed it gently. "Honey, what's wrong? Why are you so upset?" He hated to ask, but he knew he needed to, "Is this because you don't want to marry me?"

Zelda looked up at him. Her eyes were red, and mascara was running down her cheeks. "I love you," she said honestly. "Of course I want to marry you."

"Then what's wrong?" Dobie asked. "If you don't like the ring, we can take it back."

"I _love_ the ring," Zelda forced herself to stop crying and looked down at the ring on her finger. "I just know it cost more than we can afford right now."

"Why do you keep saying that?" he asked.

"Dobie," Zelda looked up at him. "I have to tell you something. I've been trying to find the right time…the right way…but there isn't one."

"What?" Dobie asked, suddenly nervous. He could tell something was wrong and it scared him. "What's wrong?"

Zelda looked down at the ground. Her voice shook as she spoke, "I'm…well…I'm…"

Suddenly Dobie was very frightened by what she was going to say. He could tell it wasn't good and he began to think of how awful she had been feeling lately. Maybe she was really ill…maybe she had a tragic illness and was afraid to tell him. "Zelda, what's wrong? You're scaring me. Just tell me." He put his hand under her chin and lifted her head so she had to face him. He had never seen her look as scared as she did at that moment. He kissed her on the forehead, "Tell me…" he insisted.

"I'm going to have a baby," she said, and she closed her eyes as if she didn't want to see his reaction.

Dobie froze, her words running over and over in his mind, but still not making a connection. They had only been together once, on New Year's Eve and even though he knew once was enough, he just couldn't believe their lack of luck. "Are you sure?" he asked, his voice cracking. Then he began to grasp at any other possibility, "I mean you said you had the flu. I'm sure that's all it is."

"It's not the flu," Zelda's voice was firm and for someone who had been an emotional wreck a few minutes before she was now lacking of any emotion. "I'm having a baby. _We_ are having a baby." She looked down at the ring, glimmering on her finger, "That's why I thought we should take the ring back. We're going to need the money."

Dobie ran his fingers through his hair. He tried to remain calm. He knew she would think he was angry and he wasn't, he was just in shock, confused...and to be completely honest he was scared. "God Zelda…how the heck did something like this happen?" He stood up and paced back and forth in front of her. "We can't have a baby…we are _not_ ready to have a baby."

"Well we _are_…having a baby," she said again, this time with sadness in her voice that let him know she was heartbroken by his response. "Dobie…I love this baby…already. You will too…"

He stopped and looked down at her. Then he sat next to her and put his arm around her, pulling her close, "I didn't say that I don't love the baby," he whispered. "I'm sorry…"

"I wasn't going to blindside you like this," she sniffled. "I didn't plan to tell you tonight, but when you asked me to marry you…I just thought you needed to know."

"Of course I needed to know," Dobie agreed. "When were you planning to tell me? How long have you known? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Zelda shrugged, "I've suspected for a while, but I wasn't sure and I didn't want to tell you if I wasn't sure. So, I went to the doctor a few days ago. I don't know when I was going to tell you…"

"You should have told me," he sighed. "You've had time to get used to this. I haven't…"

"I know," she said softly. "I was scared to tell you."

Dobie looked at her and realized that she still looked frightened, like she thought he would abandon her now that he knew about the baby. "Why were you scared? This is my responsibility too…I know that."

"I thought you would think I made it up…or did it on purpose to trap you," she said honestly. "I've done so many dishonest things in the past to try to force you to marry me…I just thought you would think I was at it again. I'm so sorry for all those things I did…I was young and stupid…"

"I know you didn't do this on purpose," he squeezed her hand. "And you didn't do it alone. I'm sorry you've been dealing with this by yourself."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," she lay her head on his shoulder. "It's gonna be okay though, right? I mean, a baby isn't a bad thing. I hope she looks just like you."

Dobie smiled, "Or _he_…it could be a boy."

Zelda nodded, "You want a boy, right? Just like my dad…he was disappointed all eight times when they brought us girls home."

"I won't be disappointed," he leaned in and kissed her. "I promise…I will love our little girl more than anything."

"Or our little boy," Zelda smiled. "Either way…this baby will have lot's of love."

He nodded and reached out, touching her stomach lightly, "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm okay…I just feel kind of yucky once in a while," she placed her hand gently on top of his. "I guess lately it's been more than once in a while. And I'm tired…really tired…"

"Then we should get you home," he grabbed her hand as she stood up. "We can talk more tomorrow. We need to decide about the wedding. It should probably be pretty soon."

Zelda nodded, "I still think we should return the ring," she said honestly. "Babies cost a lot of money, and I know you had to have spent your whole savings on this." She looked at it and smiled, "It's pretty, but I don't need it."

"Okay," Dobie reluctantly agreed. "But we'll get you a different one. A nice one." He leaned in and kissed her again, this time long and passionately. He ran his fingers through her dark curls and she smiled as they pulled away from the kiss. "Happy Valentine's Day," his voice was breathy and calm.

"Happy Valentine's Day," she whispered back. Then they walked home.


	16. Chapter 16

After he walked Zelda home, making sure she was alright, Dobie drove his truck home. He walked up the stairs to his parents' apartment, and suddenly he couldn't get the events of the evening out of his mind. He was getting married. He was going to be a father. How could so many things change so quickly? His parents were going to kill him. Then he pushed that thought out of his mind. His parents would probably be disappointed, but he and Zelda were both adults. Maybe they should have been more responsible, but their parents would have to understand that they could make their own decisions.

Dobie unlocked the door, surprised to see his parents sitting up watching TV. He tried to slide past them without being noticed, but his luck failed. "How was your date?" his mother asked, a sparkle in her eye. "Did she say yes?"

Dobie's face dropped. He hadn't told his parents he was going to propose, so he was disappointed that they seemed to already know everything. "How did you know?" he asked.

"I found the ring," his mother admitted. "When I was cleaning your room."

"You were cleaning my room?" Dobie asked with frustration. "Mom, I'm a grown man. You don't need to clean my room."

"Okay, okay," his father said quickly. "Winnie, stop cleaning the boy's room. Let his new wife do that for him…that is if he is going to have a new wife," he looked questioningly at his son.

"She said yes," Dobie told them and his mother hugged him. He looked at his father, "But it's not going to be Zelda's job to clean up after me," he insisted. He couldn't help but think they would both be too busy cleaning up after the baby to worry about who made the bed in the morning.

"Well, I'm glad she said yes," his mother smiled happily. "I like her. She's good for you. When are you two going to have the wedding? How about June? June weddings are so beautiful, and you can have it outside…"

Dobie shook his head, "I think we're going to do it sooner. Maybe at City Hall in a few weeks…"

"No," his mother looked disappointed. "Take the time to make it special. Let your father and I enjoy it. Let Zelda's parents be proud of their oldest daughter's wedding."

Dobie sighed. He hadn't even thought about Zelda's parents. They were the ones who were going to kill him. Looking into his parents' eager faces, he knew he needed to be honest. He needed their support right now, "We have to get married soon," he said. "She's pregnant."

His mother's face dropped and Dobie could tell she was disappointed. His father looked more serious though, "Is that why you're marrying her?" he asked.

"No," Dobie insisted. "I asked her before I knew about the baby. I want to marry her. The baby is just an added surprise."

"I'll say," his father's voice was firm. "Are you sure this is your baby?"

Dobie was shocked by his father's accusations. "Of course, it's mine," he said quickly. "How dare you say that…"

"Your father's not trying to cause trouble," his mother interrupted. "But Dobie, Zelda and John Brenner had been dating for a whole year before you came back to town. They were engaged. Then all of the sudden she dumps him and runs to you. You have to admit, it is suspicious."

"No, it's not!" Dobie argued. "She left John _because_ of me. Because we slept together. If the baby wasn't mine, she would have told me."

"Okay, I'm sorry…" his mother tried to sound sincere.

"Just take some time to think about this son," his father added. "Don't do something you'll regret."

"I will never regret marrying Zelda," Dobie argued. "Or having a baby with her. I love her!" he stormed out of the room, slamming his door and laying on his bed. His parents were wrong, and he knew it. Zelda had been afraid he would think she was using the baby as a scheme to trap him, and she never would have admitted that to him if it was a trick. Plus, they had grown so close, he was sure she wouldn't lie. It was _his_ baby. It had to be his. But what if it wasn't? What if she didn't want to face up to the fact that it was John's and not his? Maybe she didn't know herself? "What am I going to do?" he asked himself, as all the possible scenarios swirled around his mind all night long.


	17. Chapter 17

He was tired from thinking all night, and as Dobie wiped down the counters the next morning, he knew he had to ask Zelda more about the baby. He didn't know how to bring it up without sounding like he was accusing her of lying to him, and in his heart he didn't think she was. The baby was his, or at least she thought it was. It was later in the morning when she came in, and he was helping a customer. She went right to work on the displays, and after the customer left he walked over to her, "I thought you'd be here earlier," he said.

She nodded, "I know…I'm sorry. I just felt really lousy this morning." She took a deep breath and let her hand rest on her stomach, "I'll be lucky if I make it the rest of today without throwing up."

"I'm sorry you're so sick," he said with sympathy. "I wish there was something I could do."

Zelda shook her head, "I'll be okay," she insisted. "It's normal." She looked down at her hand, where she was still wearing the ring from the night before, "Do you want to go exchange the ring tonight?"

Dobie looked at her. He loved her, and at that instant he knew that it didn't matter if she was carrying his baby or John's…he still wanted to marry her. He still wanted that baby to be his. "I told my parents," he said softly.

Zelda's face turned pale, "About the wedding…or the baby?" she asked.

"Both," he said honestly.

"Dobie," she looked like she might cry. "I'm not ready for people to find out…especially not your parents. They must hate me."

Dobie shook his head, "They love you," he insisted. "They're just a little…concerned…about the baby."

"I know it was probably a shock," Zelda sighed. "They'll love being grandparents though…just wait and see."

"Zelda," he said, his voice shaking. "They think the baby may not be mine. They think there's a _chance_ that it's John's."

Her eyes widened, "What?" she asked. "Why do they think that?" Then she saw the confusion on his face and her heart ached, "Do you think that too?" she asked. She felt tears stinging her eyes, "You do…don't you?"

"No," Dobie insisted. "I don't care…I want the baby…I want _you_."

"I never slept with John," Zelda yelled, loud enough that she was sure his parents could hear all the way upstairs. In fact, she hoped they heard her. "He was my fiancée, and I _never_ slept with him. I told him I wanted to wait until we were married…but then that night…I just gave myself to _you_ without a second thought." She let her tears fall, "This is your baby!" She took the ring off her finger and sat it firmly on the counter. "I can't believe you would think I would try to pass off someone else's baby as yours. What kind of person do you think I am?" Then she ran out of the store.

Dobie wanted to run after her, tell her he had always believed her. He knew it would be a mistake though. She was too upset, too worked up over what he had said. He had to give her time to calm down. He picked up the ring from the counter and looked at it. She _had_ to marry him. He couldn't imagine his life without her…or without the baby. He loved them both...and he hadn't realized how much until that exact moment when he was faced with losing them.


	18. Chapter 18

"Grandma," Greta whispered as she opened the door. "Are you awake?"

Zelda was sitting on the bed, looking through the old photo album. She had meant to take a nap, but had been caught up in looking at the old pictures. Gracie had said she should be Dobie's valentine this year. Thinking back to the day he had proposed, she remembered how nice it felt to be the one he loved. Even though they obviously had many problems throughout the years, she missed him…more than she wanted to admit. "I'm awake," she answered with a smile. "Come on in. Why are _you_ awake?"

Greta shrugged, "I'm not that tired. Besides, Gracie came in and curled up next to me and that woke me up. She kicks and squirms so much I couldn't get back to sleep. _She's_ sound asleep though." She laughed. "What are you doing?"

"Looking through this album" Zelda answered as she glanced at the next page.

"Oh man…I forgot to put it away again," Greta sighed. "I'm sorry…I'll go put it up."

Greta reached for it, but Zelda shook her head. "I'm enjoying looking at it," she said. "I can't believe how long ago this was. Look at your Grandpa…he was so handsome."

Greta smiled, "He was so young. So were you. How old were you when you got married?"

"Almost 26," Zelda answered. "We got married in March and I turned 26 in April. That seems like a lifetime ago.

"I don't want to get married before I'm 30…maybe 40," Greta said seriously. "I don't think I'll be ready when I'm in my twenties."

Zelda nodded, "Well that's your choice. I think it's good that women can wait longer now. When I was young, it was expected for girls to get married young. I was the oldest of all my friends to get married. People were beginning to think I'd be single forever."

"Did you want to marry Grandpa?" Greta asked.

"Of course," Zelda answered. "Why would you ask that?"

Greta shrugged, "Well, you two have always fought a lot. You said earlier that things had only been okay between you…"

"I didn't say _only_ okay," Zelda disagreed. "I said we used to be okay. Maybe I should have worded it better." Looking at the pictures was bringing back a flood of memories. Memories of being far more than okay in their relationship. They had been in love.

"Did you marry him because you were pregnant?" Greta asked bluntly. Then she noticed the shock on her grandmother's face and realized she had overstepped her bounds. "I'm sorry…I shouldn't have asked that."

"How did you know about _that_?" Zelda asked. She had never mentioned it to her own children, and definitely not to her grandchildren. It wasn't something she was proud of, even now.

Greta sighed, "It wasn't hard to figure out," she admitted. "You got married in March, and Aunt Gwen was born in September. That's only six months."

Zelda knew how ridiculous is was that she had felt like it had been a secret. Obviously, anyone with elementary math skills could figure out that her daughter was born six months after the wedding. And they couldn't even pretend like she had been premature. She had weighed eight and half pounds. She had just decided that if she didn't mention it, other people wouldn't think anything about it. It had been so long ago that she was surprised to be asked about it now. Leave it to Greta to be uncomfortably inquisitive. "I married him because I loved him," she said honestly. "I loved him more than I can describe...and he asked me to marry him before he knew about the baby, so I always knew he married me for love, not because I was pregnant." She closed the album and handed it to her granddaughter, "Why don't you go and put this up now?" she suggested. "I think I am going to go to sleep for a while before we head back to the hospital."


	19. Chapter 19

After she ran out of the store, Zelda wasn't sure what she was going to do. She had been hurt that Dobie questioned the paternity of their baby, but in her heart she knew she couldn't blame him. He didn't know that she had never slept with John, and she had been engaged to this other man. What else was he supposed to think? She couldn't go back to the store and face him though, not now. She was still angry, even though she knew she shouldn't be…and he was probably upset too. She had to give it some time.

She walked slowly back to her apartment. It was colder than it had been the night before, and she realized she had left her coat at the store. She was cold, tired, and nauseous as she walked through town, and by the time she reached her apartment, she was sobbing. She opened the door, and lay down on the fold out couch. What if Dobie didn't believe the baby was his? What if he didn't want to get married? What was going to happen to her…to their baby? She wouldn't give it up, but being a single mother didn't seem possible either. She fell asleep, her mind full of angst.

It was a few hours later when the knocking on her door woke her up. Slowly climbing out of bed, she took a deep breath trying to settle her stomach. She walked to the door, and looked through the peep hole. Seeing Dobie standing on the other side scared her. She was afraid he was there to write her out of his life for good. She opened the door a crack and looked out into the hall, "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"We need to talk," he said softly. "Please…let me in."

"I don't want to talk right now," she said honestly. In fact, she was too afraid to talk. She didn't want to face him.

"Zelda, please?" Dobie pleaded. "I brought your coat," he held it out to her and she grabbed it, but didn't open the door any further. "Let me in. We need to figure this out." She sighed and opened the door. Dobie walked in and looked at the bed, still folded out, leaving the room looking messy and disorganized. Zelda started to fold it up so they could sit, but he quickly stopped her, grabbing her hand. "I know it's my baby," he said gently. "I never thought it wasn't."

She nodded, taking another deep breath. She closed her eyes, trying to force herself to feel better, but the room seemed to be spinning around her. She wondered how her mother ever managed to have eight children. She was afraid this one was going to do her in. "Dobie…" she sighed. "I'm sorry I overreacted…" Suddenly she was too sick to stand in front of him anymore and ran to the bathroom.

Dobie followed her, listening at the door as she threw up. He felt guilty. He wanted to make her feel better. He pushed the door open slightly, knowing he had to offer to help her in some way. He was the baby's father, he was going to be her husband…he needed to take care of them. He knelt beside her, gently rubbing her back.

"Leave me alone," Zelda cried. "I don't want you in here." She leaned her head against the tile wall.

"I want to help you," Dobie said sincerely. "You're too sick…I want to take you back to the doctor. I'm worried about you."

"It's just morning sickness," she reminded him. "It's normal." Then she burst into tears, something that made her feel worse rather than better.

"How can it be morning sickness in mid-afternoon?" He knew it was a ridiculous question, but he was worried and wasn't sure what to say or do. He moistened a washcloth and held it carefully to the back of her neck, "Just try to relax," he made his words as soothing as he could. "Crying isn't going to help."

"I know," she sniffled. "I just feel so awful. I think the baby hates me." She continued to cry, knowing she wasn't making any sense, but unable to calm down enough to think clearly. She felt so overwhelmed and suddenly all she could do was let out all of her fears through her tears.

"That's not true," Dobie said, his voice calm and gentle. "This baby loves you, because you're going through so much to get her here safe and sound." He took the cloth and handed it to her so she could wipe her face and then helped her to her feet. "You should have told me you were _this_ sick," he held her close and guided her back to bed. Zelda lay in bed, still crying and unable to stop. Dobie sat beside her, kissing her on the cheek. "Honey, why are you still crying?"

She shook her head, "I'm scared," she admitted. "I hate being pregnant." She sniffled. "What if that means I'm not going to be a good mother?"

Dobie lay next to her and let his hand rest on her stomach. "Anyone would hate being this sick," he assured her. "It doesn't mean you won't be a good mother. I know you love the baby."

"I just want to be a good mother," Zelda said seriously. "I feel guilty…for getting pregnant right now in the first place."

"Hey…we did this together," Dobie reminded her. "I'm the one who feels guilty. This so called morning sickness is making you miserable, and it's all my fault."

"It's not your fault," Zelda was starting to calm down. "It's part of having a baby. I'm glad you're here though. It's been hard all by myself."

He kissed her again, wiping away the few stray tears on her cheeks, "I'm here…for good," he promised. He reached in his pocket and pulled out the ring, placing it on her finger and then holding her hand, "I want you to keep the ring…this ring. I know the baby will need things, but we can manage. We can always depend on the store…"

Zelda looked at her hand and nodded, "Okay," she forced a weak smile. She was exhausted and didn't feel like arguing, plus she really did love the ring. "Speaking of the store," she yawned, "Why aren't you at work?"

"My mom is covering for me this afternoon," he told her. "She felt bad about our fight." He smiled, "She said she believes you about the baby." He leaned closer to her, wrapping his arms around her.

"I'm glad," Zelda said in a near whisper as she dozed off. She didn't want his parents to hate her, or worse yet not accept the baby. She closed her eyes, comforted just by being held in his arms and fell asleep.


	20. Chapter 20

Slowly opening her eyes, Zelda knew Dobie was no longer beside her on the bed. She could hear him talking on the phone and she sat up slowly, looking into the small kitchen nook where her phone was and he smiled to see her awake. "I'll see," he said into the phone. "Bye." Then he hung up and walked over to her, "You're awake," he sat next to her. "Are you feeling any better?"

She nodded, "_Much_ better. Maybe I just needed some sleep." She looked at the clock and realized it was far into the evening. "Who were you talking to on the phone?"

"My mom," he answered. "I was worried about you, so I called her to see if she knew of anything that could make you feel better." He leaned over and kissed her softly, "I don't want you to spend the next nine months feeling so lousy."

Zelda smiled, "That's sweet," she said. "But it's only seven months now and I'll be fine. It's supposed to get easier." She squeezed his hand, "What did your mom say?"

"Gingerale, crackers, getting extra sleep," he reached his hand out and let it rest delicately on her stomach. "You've tried all that…right?" She nodded and he sighed, "I figured." He shook his head, "I just can't believe there is a little person inside of you. It's so strange to me. Isn't it strange to you?"

Zelda nodded, "Yeah…I can't believe it sometimes. I'm scared about this," she admitted, her voice weak.

"Me too," Dobie admitted. "I didn't plan on being a father so soon. I'm scared I won't be good at it. You'll be great though…I know you'll be a fabulous mother. Look at all the experience you've had with your little sisters."

"Maybe…but this is so different," she sighed. "We're going to be the only people this kid has to depend on."

"My mom wanted to know if you would come over for dinner?" he asked, quickly changing the subject. Zelda was right, and it scared him to think that this tiny little person was going to depend on him for everything. He wasn't sure he could do it. "Pot roast…she said to ask you and tell you she's sorry about the things she said last night."

"I don't blame your parents for thinking the baby could be someone else's" Zelda admitted. "I just don't want them to continue thinking that. I want them to love our baby."

"They will," Dobie promised. "They do…Mom said she's going to start knitting a blanket. She wanted to know what color you might like…you know other than pink or blue since we don't know if it's a boy or a girl. And she said my dad is looking in the attic for my old cradle, so he can fix it up for the baby…to give him something to do since he can't work fulltime now."

Zelda sighed, "I hope my parents take to this grandparenting thing as quickly as yours seem to be…they are going to be so angry." She looked at him with tears in her eyes, "I don't think I'm going to tell them until after the wedding." She put her hand on top of his, which was still resting on her stomach, "I hope I'm not showing by the time we get married. That will be a disaster."

"I don't know how you could be," Dobie insisted. "As much as you throw up there is no way you're going to gain any weight." He kissed her again on the cheek, "Speaking of which, I want to talk to your doctor. There has to be something that can be done to help you."

"Dobie, don't you think I've talked to the doctor myself? Morning sickness, even morning sickness that lasts all day long, is normal. There's nothing we can do about it," she smiled, "Besides, I'm not throwing up all the time. It kind of comes and goes. Right now, I'm starving."

"Really?" he asked. "Why didn't you say something? Do you want to go have dinner with my parents, or would you rather stay here?"

"Let's go have dinner with your parents," she smiled. "I love your mom's pot roast."


	21. Chapter 21

There was little conversation as Dobie and Zelda sat down to dinner with his parents. Dobie had said his parents were excited about the baby, but as they sat in silence she had to question how much of that had been wishful thinking on his part. It was the most uncomfortable dinner of her life. As she took a bite, she could feel their eyes burning into her. She wanted to crawl under the table and hide. "The pot roast is delicious, Mrs. Gillis," she said trying to brighten the mood. She dipped her baby carrots and potatoes in the thick brown gravy and took another bite, nothing more to say.

"Thank you dear," Winnie Gillis replied. She watched as her future daughter-in-law continued to quickly put forkfuls of food into her mouth, and wondered if this was a nervous reaction or if she was in fact _that_ hungry. Maybe it was a little of both. After all, she was pregnant and they weren't exactly giving her the warmest of welcomes into their family. When she'd asked Dobie to invite her, she planned to be warm and inviting, but seeing her here with her son, knowing this girl was going to change his life forever…well suddenly she didn't feel as inviting as she should have.

"Dad?" Dobie asked, trying to break the silence. "Did you find the old cradle in the attic?"

Herbert Gillis shook his head, "It's behind some old boxes," he said. "I can't get to it. Maybe later you can move the boxes and bring them down. Then I can see what needs to be done to fix it."

"Okay," Dobie took another bite of his food. He looked at his mother, "Zelda and I were thinking maybe you could knit a yellow blanket for the baby," he looked from his mother to his fiancée, "You like yellow, right?"

"Sure," Zelda forced a smile, "Yellow would be great." She put the last forkful of food into her mouth, noticing that everyone else's plates were still half-full and suddenly feeling very self-conscious. "Will you excuse me," she said, pushing her chair away from the table. She walked to the restroom and tried unsuccessfully not to cry. Dobie's parents hated her; she could feel it.

"I thought you were going to try," Dobie whispered when he was sure Zelda was out of earshot. "You're not being very nice. You've barely said two words to her."

"Well what do you want me to say?" Winnie asked seriously. "We're so glad you've ruined our son's life."

"Mom!" Dobie yelled, and then remembered to lower his voice. "Zelda is not ruining my life…and a couple of days ago you loved her. You wanted me to marry her…remember?"

"I know," Winnie sighed. "I know…you're right. It's just…what were you two thinking? A _baby_…really Dobie…"

"Your mother's right," Herbert threw down his fork. "You two have no business bringing a kid into this world. Do you have any idea how much that kid's gonna cost? How hard it's going to be to start a new marriage, and then add a kid into the mix?"

"We're not teenagers," Dobie argued. "We know what we're facing here. It won't be easy, but life is never easy."

"Where are you two going to live?" Herbert asked seriously. "She has a tiny one room apartment and you live with us."

"We'll live in her apartment until we can find a bigger place," Dobie replied. "It's not a big deal."

"You can't raise a child in that apartment," his mother argued. "It's barely big enough for the two of you. Of course, you obviously found _some_ way to spend the night together there, sneaking out of here after your father and I have gone to bed…or we wouldn't be having this argument in the first place!"

"What?" Dobie asked. "Are you really upset because you think I've been sneaking over to Zelda's and sleeping with her? You want to know the _truth_? We had sex once…HERE…in my room…"

"DOBIE!" Zelda screamed from the doorway. "How could you tell them that?" She cried tears of shame and he ran over to her and put his arms around her, but she jerked free. "You told me you wouldn't tell them."

"Well that was before we found out you were pregnant," he argued. "It doesn't matter now."

"Yes it does," she grabbed her coat. "Thank you for dinner, Mr. and Mrs. Gillis…and I'm sorry…for everything." She ran down the stairs and Dobie followed her. "Just leave me alone," she sobbed.

"Zelda…wait. Let me drive you home," he pleaded. "I'm sorry…really, I know I shouldn't have said anything. I was just mad at them. They're acting like we're children who can't take care of ourselves and I just snapped."

"You know…maybe they're right," Zelda sniffled. "We need to grow up. They already think I'm a slut…now they think I've disrespected them in their own home. We made a choice that we have to live with for the rest of our lives, but Dobie…your parents are just trying to look out for you. You owe them an apology…we both do…"

"No you don't," Winnie Gillis stood at the bottom of the stairs, her husband right behind her. "We were wrong." She looked at the two of them and her eyes were moist with tears, "It's hard to see your little boy grow up, and know he doesn't need you anymore. I guess you'll both know what that's like someday, and then maybe you'll understand why we've been acting so crazy."

"We're both sorry…" Herbert added. "And Zelda, if my son is going to get married…I'm glad he's marrying you. You're good for him, you take good care of the store…and I have to admit…I'm kind of excited about being a grandpa."

Zelda smiled slightly, "Thanks," she whispered.

"Now, why don't you two come back upstairs so we can finish dinner," Winnie put her arms around both of them. "I think my new grandbaby really enjoys my pot roast from the way you were devouring it," she squeezed Zelda close to her and smiled.

"I think so too," Zelda chuckled. "I could definitely go for seconds."

"Good…you're too thin," Winnie insisted as they climbed the stairs. "Dobie said you've been really sick…so when you're feeling better you should eat more to compensate…" Zelda glanced at Dobie as they walked up the stairs listening to his mother give them pointers about pregnancy. He looked relieved, for the first time in days, and she realized she felt that same relief. Things were going to be okay.


	22. Chapter 22

Being at the Central City Hospital brought back a flood of memories for Dobie. Watching his granddaughters "ooh and awe" over their new brother made him smile. Zelda was holding the baby and rocking him back and forth, and the girls were huddled around her giggling and smiling. It was nice. Like they were a complete family again, and he had missed that.

"Do you want to hold him?" Zelda asked standing up from the chair. She let him sit down and carefully placed the baby in his arms. "He is so perfect," her eyes teared up again.

Dobie held his namesake and rocked him back and forth. The baby boy scrunched up his tiny, red face and Dobie remembered sitting in the same hospital holding his own children for the first time. Gwen had been born just as the whole Lamaze craze was first becoming popular, and his parents had protested the idea when he mentioned going into the room to see his child born. He had been extremely nervous about it too, but seeing his daughter come into the world had been a beautiful experience and he would never have traded that for anything. Georgie had been born three years later, and he was less afraid that time since he knew what to expect, but both times his heart had melted when he saw those little babies and he was left in awe of his wife and her strength to endure so much as she brought those precious gifts into their lives.

"Grandpa, does Little Dobie look like me when I was a baby?" Gracie asked with a grin.

Dobie smiled at her, "I think he looks more like your daddy," he answered. "You have your mommy's pretty dark hair and her smile." He could tell the little girl was longing for him to say the baby looked like her, even though he really didn't. "You do have the same nose though…don't you think?"

Gracie nodded and grinned, then leaned over and kissed her baby brother on the tip of his tiny nose, "He's so cute!" she gushed for about the hundredth time. "I just want to take him home."

"Tomorrow," he glanced over to where Zelda was fussing over their daughter-in-law, plumping up her pillows and chatting with her about coming over to help if they needed it until she was feeling better. It had been a long and hard labor, and even now with visitors in the room, she was half-asleep and unable to really focus on anyone. Dobie hoped Georgie would be able to bring his wife and baby home tomorrow as planned.

Zelda walked over and whispered, "We should go…she needs to rest." Dobie handed her the baby and she placed him carefully in his isolette. Then they waited for the girls to hug and kiss their parents and said their own "good-byes" for the night.

Walking out into the chilly night air, Zelda looked at her ex-husband. "How did things go at the store today?" she asked seriously.

Dobie knew that the only good thing that had happened at the store was Gwen's phone call about coming to visit the following day, but since that was a secret, he couldn't tell her. He shrugged, "Same as usual," he sighed.

Zelda nodded, "I know how much you love the store." She looked seriously at him. "I hope business picks up. I really do."

"I know," Dobie nodded. "Me too." He watched as his granddaughters raced ahead and climbed in the car. Then he looked at Zelda, "Do you think you could help me out in the store tomorrow after you take the girls to school?" he asked. "I have some things I need to take care of."

"What things?" Zelda asked intrigued. She hadn't worked at the store in years, and she wondered why he would ask her now.

"Just some things," he replied. He couldn't tell her about picking Gwen up at the airport. "Will you cover the store?"

"Sure," she agreed, but in the back of her mind she wondered what he was up to. Dobie rarely kept secrets, but when he did they were not usually good. Then she pushed the thought out of her mind. She was acting suspicious for no reason. "I can take a look at the books too if you want…see if I can come up with some new marketing ideas," she suggested. She had always been good at that.

He instinctively put his arm around her shoulders, "That would be great," he said. "Thank you."


	23. Chapter 23

The next day, Zelda dropped Greta off at the high school and then headed to the elementary school with Gracie. The little girl was carrying a box filled with valentines for her classmates and a container of heart-shaped cookies she had convinced her grandmother to bake the night before. She grinned as they turned the corner towards the school, "Do you think Mom and the baby will home when I get out of school?" she asked with excitement.

Zelda nodded, "Probably." Georgie had called earlier and said his wife was feeling much better and would probably be released that afternoon. "You just have a good day and don't worry about it, okay?"

"Okay," Gracie nodded. "Are you going up there today? If so, will you give Little Dobie a kiss for me?"

"I'm working in the store today," Zelda answered. "But if I get a chance to go up there, I'll be sure to give him a kiss from his big sister."

"Why are you working in the store?" Gracie asked as Zelda pulled up to the curb in front of the school. "You never work there anymore."

"Your grandpa asked me," Zelda admitted. "And I said I would. He needs help sometimes."

"Daddy says Grandpa needs to give up the store," Gracie said softly. "He said it's too much work and Grandpa isn't getting any younger. He said it's losing money."

"Don't you worry about that," Zelda kissed her granddaughter on the cheek. "It's none of your concern…or your Daddy's. Grandpa knows what he's doing."

Gracie smiled and hugged her grandmother, "Okay," she smiled as she got out of the car. "Thanks for making cookies for my class."

"You're welcome sweetie," Zelda waved as her granddaughter walked up the steps to the school. She wondered how long Georgie had been worried about the store. He was right that Dobie wasn't getting any younger, neither of them were, and she knew it was getting harder for him to manage on his own. Still, he was healthy and strong enough to manage. At least she thought he was. She realized that she hadn't given it much thought. She knew the store wasn't doing well financially, and she assumed it would have to be closed sooner than later because of the chain stores that had taken over, but she'd never stopped to think that maybe Dobie was getting too old to run it by himself. She pushed that thought out of her mind as she drove to the store.

Zelda walked through the front door of the Gillis Grocery and smiled when Dobie looked up from the register. "Well, I'm here," she said quickly. "What do you want me to do?"

Dobie sighed and looked around at the empty store, "There's not much to do," he answered. "Just cover for me until I get back…just in case a customer comes in."

Zelda looked at the display of Valentine's Day candy and balloons neatly stacked in the front window. She remembered what Gracie had said about today "sort of" being their anniversary. It had been 44 years ago on Valentine's Day that Dobie had proposed to her. It had been the happiest day of her life, especially after she had told him she was pregnant and he hadn't been scared off. She had known then and there that he really did love her. Sure, she had said over and over when they were young that she would make him see how much he loved her eventually, but she had known when he asked her to marry him that night that he had fallen in love with her all on his own. She hadn't needed to plan or scheme…he loved her for woman she was, and she loved him just as much.

"You haven't even had any lovesick teenagers come in to buy valentine candy this morning?" Zelda asked gently.

Dobie shook his head, "No, but maybe you'll have better luck." He looked over to the pharmacy counter, "There were a few prescriptions called in earlier for Mrs. McGinny. I filled them and they're ready when she comes to get them." He grabbed his coat and headed towards the door. "I'll be back in a couple of hours."

"Dobie?" Zelda asked as he opened the door. He turned and looked at her. "Are you okay?" she asked sincerely. "Running the store? Do you need more help? Because I can come and help more often."

He was surprised by her offer, but shook his head, "I don't need help," he admitted. "Believe me, there's not much to do around here." His eyes were sad, "I'll probably need your help closing this place down. If something doesn't change soon…I won't be able to keep this place afloat anyway." A few tears filled his eyes and he quickly dabbed at them, embarrassed.

"I know how much you love this place," Zelda walked over to him and grabbed his hand. "I love it too," she whispered. "This store has always been a huge part of my life…our kids' lives too." She looked over at the window, "Remember when Gwen was little and she would sit in the window and stare out at all the people walking down the sidewalk? Customers used to come in _just_ to say hello to her, and then she's always convince them to buy something" she laughed. "She was so cute. She was always good for business."

Dobie laughed, "My dad used to call her his good luck charm." He looked solemnly at the cash register, "He would be heartbroken to see what's happened to the store. This place meant the world to him."

Zelda squeezed his hand a little tighter, "He would be proud of all you've done to keep it open, Dobie. You know that."

He put his arm around her and hugged her close. "I hope he would be," he said honestly. Then he looked at his watch, "I need to get going." He took his arm from around her and smiled, "Thanks again for covering for me today."

"I still want to know where you're going," she teased.

"I told you it's a surprise," he smiled. He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek, shocking himself. He hadn't planned to do that, but it seemed almost instinctive. He could tell Zelda was surprised as well because she put her hand to her cheek and nearly gasped. "I'll be back soon," he said nervously as he walked out the door.


	24. Chapter 24

Dobie and Zelda had waited a couple of weeks after they announced their engagement to start planning their wedding at City Hall and now they were regretting not starting the process sooner. It was taking forever to get their marriage license. They had spent most of the morning at City Hall trying to convince the woman behind the counter to hand over the paperwork so that they could get married, but it was still going to be at least another week. The required blood test had shown that Zelda was pregnant and they had forced Dobie to sign before a judge that he was the baby's father before they would issue the license. She had been embarrassed, but Dobie had been furious and argued with the judge, and then the woman at the front desk informed them that it would take another week for the paperwork to be looked over and the license to be issued. Dobie insisted the bureaucrats at City Hall were just trying to cause trouble for them, and Zelda was beginning to wonder if they would ever make it down the aisle.

"It's gonna be okay," Dobie promised as they drove back to the store. "We'll get the license next week and then we can get married. It won't be too much longer."

"I know," Zelda forced a smile. "I think I'm going to have to let out my dress." She tried to sound like she was joking, but she was really worried about it. She had gained a little weight lately, and her clothes were feeling tight. She was wearing all of her blouses untucked and that morning she had even left her skirt unbuttoned. Dobie hadn't said anything about her thickening waistline, but she was sure he had to have noticed. She had planned to wear her nicest dress for their wedding, not wanting to worry about an actual wedding gown since they were getting married at City Hall, but now she was sure it would be too tight.

Dobie pulled the truck up in front of the store and smiled gently, "You can get a new dress." He put his hand on her stomach and smiled, "I know you were hoping the baby wouldn't be showing when we got married. I'm sorry…"

"Why haven't you said anything?" She asked. "About how fat I'm getting? I know you had to have noticed it before now."

Dobie laughed, "You are _not_ getting fat," he insisted.

"Yes I am," she burst into tears. She felt ridiculous for crying, but she couldn't stop. "Everyone is going to know I'm pregnant…some people probably already do. Everyone is going to treat me like I've done something wrong, just like that horrible judge. My parents are going to disown me."

Dobie didn't know what to say. She had been so emotional lately, bursting into tears over any little thing. "That judge was a jerk," he said as he pulled her close to him. "And if anyone else even tries to make you feel bad about this, they'll have to deal with me." He kissed her and rubbed her stomach gently, "Maybe you are putting on a little weight, but you don't look fat. You don't even look pregnant. If you wear a loose fitting dress, no one will even know at the wedding…I promise."

She sniffled and put her head on his shoulder, "Really?" she asked. "You don't think I look fat?"

"I think you look great," he said honestly. He kissed her again and smiled. "I can't wait to marry you."

"How about March 30th ?" she asked. "We should have the license by then and at least we'll have a couple of weeks to plan."

"March 30th," Dobie smiled and nodded. "Sounds like a perfect day for a wedding."

A few minutes later Zelda pulled up in front of the First Osborne Bank. She had left Dobie at the store and told him she would make the daily bank deposit since he had prescriptions to fill. Their morning at City Hall had made him fall behind in his work. She hadn't been back to the bank since she had quit her job there and she was regretting the decision to come back now. She hoped she wouldn't run into John. She looked in the review mirror, making sure her eyes were not red and puffy from crying earlier and then headed towards the bank.

She walked through the glass doors and over to the counter. "Zelda," the teller smiled. "It's been awhile. We miss you around here."

"Thanks Nancy," Zelda handed her the deposit and forced a smile.

"What have you been up to?" the teller asked, making small talk.

"Working with Dobie at the store," Zelda answered. "Planning our wedding."

The teller handed her a receipt and smiled, "Well it was nice seeing you. Congratulations on the wedding."

Zelda nodded and said good-bye, relieved to be headed towards the door when she heard someone call her name. She turned, and was face to face with John, the one thing she feared most. "John…hello," she sputtered. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," his voice was serious. "How are you? You look good…happy."

Suddenly she was very self-conscious, wondering if he could tell she was pregnant. She wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. "I am happy," she said quickly. "But I'm really sorry about what happened. I'm sorry I hurt you."

John nodded, "I know," he said sincerely. "I should never have asked you to marry me anyway. I knew you loved Dobie. It was obvious the way you talked about him, even when he was away at school. I just didn't want to see it."

"I do love him," Zelda admitted. "But I care about you too. I don't want you to be hurt."

"I'm fine," John promised. "That's why I called your name when I saw you. I wanted you to know that. I'm not mad at you. You probably did us both a favor." Zelda nodded knowingly. She was relieved John could forgive her after what she had done. "I'm moving," he said quickly. "Today's my last day at the bank. I'm going to California."

"California?" Zelda asked.

"I have friends there," he answered. "I just need a fresh start. I'm glad I had the chance to tell you good-bye."

"Me too," Zelda smiled. "I need to get going," she motioned towards the door. "Good luck in California."

"Good luck with your marriage," he smiled and she knew he was being sincere. She waved good-bye and walked out the door.


	25. Chapter 25

Dobie was sitting at the airport waiting for his daughter's plane to land. It was late, and he was sorry he had told Zelda he would be back soon. It would take at least a half-hour to drive back from the airport and he had already been waiting an hour. Zelda had called his cell phone to ask what was taking so long, and for once he had managed to answer it without accidently turning it off. She had sounded worried about him, but he convinced her that everything was fine and he would be back to the store soon. He couldn't ruin the surprise now.

This really was going to be a great surprise. He had been shocked when Gwen called to say she was planning to visit, but Zelda would be overcome with emotion seeing their daughter unexpectedly. Gwen rarely came home. She was always busy with work and Dobie felt like she wanted to distance herself from Central City and what little it had to offer her. His heart had been broken when his little girl had moved so far away after college. They had always been close, and Gwen had him wrapped around her little finger from the second she was born, probably even before. Yet he knew it had hurt Zelda even more to say goodbye to their daughter. While Georgie had inherited his father's free-spirit and funloving attitude, Gwen had Zelda's intelligence and seriousness. The two of them connected to one another in a way they never seemed to connect to anyone else. Zelda had cried for days when Gwen left for college, and when she moved to California for good, Dobie had been afraid his wife would never overcome her depression. Luckily, Georgie had still been in high school, up to his usual hijinks, and Zelda had to put their son's needs first, and eventually that made things easier. Dobie knew that after their divorce she had considered moving closer to Gwen, but now there were grandkids to consider and he was sure Zelda wasn't going anywhere. He wished Gwen would get the urge to move closer.

"Daddy!" Dobie looked up from his thoughts and saw his daughter rushing across the room towards him. Her dark auburn hair was hanging in loose curls around her face and her smile was contagious. His little girl was home, and he didn't care if she was forty-three years old…he felt the same way he did when they had brought her home from the hospital for the first time…proud and overjoyed. He stood up and she ran up to him, hugging him tight, "I'm sorry we're so late, but I guess that's the way things are with flights nowadays."

"I'm so glad you're home," he hugged her again and she leaned into him, relaxing in his arms. "Your mom is going to be so excited. You can be her Valentine's Day present this year," he teased and as he said it, he smiled. He had always considered Gwen to be his first Valentine's Day present from his ex-wife. It was on their first Valentine's Day that she had told him she was pregnant with their daughter, and even back then when he was scared to death, he knew their child was a gift.

"I'm so excited," Gwen beamed. She glanced behind her, motioning someone to come closer. Dobie looked at the man, now standing at his daughter's side. He was tall, thin, not exactly handsome in his opinion, but not ugly either. He looked average, safe, dependable…but what could you really tell from someone's looks? "Daddy…this is Jack." She looked at this man and Dobie knew he wasn't just a friend. He could see it all over her face; his daughter was in love. "Jack…this is my dad."

Jack extended his hand, "Mr. Gillis," he said as they shook hands. "It is so nice to meet you. Gwen talks all the time about her family. I know she misses you all so much."

"Not as much as we miss her," Dobie put his arm back around his daughter. He headed Gwen towards the door, leaving Jack standing behind them.

Jack rushed after them, "I'm going to get the bags," he said quickly. "Should I meet you outside?"

Gwen quickly turned around, releasing herself from her father's grasp, "I'll come with you," she offered. Looking at her father she grinned, "We'll meet you outside Daddy…Okay?" Dobie nodded. He was glad to see her so happy, but deep in his heart he knew he had lost his little girl to this man he didn't even know.

"Sure Princess," he nodded. Then he watched his daughter walk away arm-in-arm with a total stranger, and he wanted nothing more than to beg her to come home to stay.


	26. Chapter 26

Dobie walked through the door to the store, the chimes jingling to announce his arrival. Gwen had decided she and Jack would stay outside until her father motioned for them. She couldn't wait to see her mother, and the thought of surprising her left her feeling like a child again. "I'm back…" Dobie called, noticing Zelda was not at the register.

She walked out of the back room. "Where the heck have you been?" she asked nervously. "I've been worried. You said you'd be back soon and it's been three hours. Georgie called and they are getting released in a while. They're going to get the girls from school and then come over to the house so we can have some time with the baby," She noticed he looked suspicious…almost too happy. "What's going on?" she asked.

"What were you doing in the back?" Dobie asked, purposely ignoring her question.

Zelda sighed, "Looking over the books," she explained. She didn't want to get into _that_ conversation. She knew she'd have to tell him eventually that she couldn't find any way to save the store, but this was not the time. "Don't change the subject. Where have you been?"

"I told you I had a surprise," Dobie smiled and motioned out the window.

Zelda looked confused until the door opened and Gwen rushed in, "Have you missed me, Mom?" she grinned. Then she ran over to her mother and hugged her tight. Zelda was speechless as she stared at her daughter. "Mom? Aren't you going to say anything?"

"Oh…I'm just so…so surprised…" Zelda had tears in her eyes as she grabbed her daughter and hugged her again. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

"I wanted to surprise you," Gwen answered. "Daddy helped me out."

Zelda looked at Dobie and nodded, "You've known about this…and you didn't tell me?"

"Don't be mad," Gwen pleaded. She hated to see her parents argue. "I asked him not to tell you."

"I'm not mad," Zelda promised. "This is the best surprise I could ever have hoped for." She went over to Dobie and hugged him, "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome," he smiled. "I know how much you've missed her."

"Oh…Mom," Gwen said quickly. "You have to meet Jack," she motioned to the man standing outside the door and he walked in. She went over to him, "Mom…this is Jack."

Zelda looked at him, amazed that Gwen had brought someone home with her. She had never done that before so this had to be serious. There was something familiar about him, but she couldn't quite figure out what. "Jack?" she asked. "Why haven't we heard more about the two of you?"

"Well," Gwen explained. "We've been seeing each other for a while. I just didn't want to get your hopes up. I know you've been wishing I'd fall in love and get married. I just wasn't sure that was what I wanted…" she smiled, "until I met Jack." He put his arm around her and she beamed with happiness, "Mom…Dad…we're getting married."

"Married?" Dobie gasped. "We've never even met him before…"

Zelda quickly took his hand and squeezed it. She didn't want him to make a scene, especially not now. "This is a surprise," she tried to sound genuinely happy for her daughter. Gwen had a good head on her shoulders, and Zelda was sure she would never rush into a marriage without thinking it through. "When are you getting married?" she asked.

"We're not sure," Gwen answered. She lay her head on Jack's shoulder and he held her close. "We're thinking of having the wedding here…in Central City. So I'll have to get things together at the law firm before I take the time off."

"You're getting married here?" Zelda asked. She was thrilled, and wanted nothing more than to share her daughter's wedding with the town, but it was hard to believe Gwen would want to get married in Central City. "What about your family, Jack? Will they have to travel from California?"

"Oh no," Jack answered. "My dad grew up here, so my aunts and uncles are all here. My parents passed away a few years ago, so I'd rather get married here."

"Isn't it weird that I'd go all the way to L.A. to find someone with roots to Central City?" Gwen chuckled. "None of the boys here ever liked me or wanted anything to do with me when I was growing up. I guess that was a blessing in disguise, because now I am going to be Mrs. Jack Brenner…"

Zelda's mouth dropped open. She knew Jack looked familiar, and suddenly she knew why. She wondered if Dobie realized, but looking at him she was sure he was still caught up on the fact that their daughter was getting married to anyone…not their connection to their future son-in-law.

"To be precise, it's Mrs. John David Brenner III," Jack teased. "My parents just called me Jack so people wouldn't confuse me with my father." He kissed Gwen and smiled, "But I'm pretty sure you're still going to go by Gwendolyn Gillis Attorney at Law…am I right?"

Gwen laughed, "You know me better than I know myself." She looked at her parents and could see her news had left them surprised and confused. "I probably should have said something sooner," she said. "I'm sorry…"

"Your father was John Brenner?" Zelda asked, not even hearing her daughter. "John Brenner, from Central City?"

Jack nodded, "Yeah…did you know him? I was hoping to find some people who knew him. We'd lived in L.A. my whole life, so I never knew much about his past here in Central City, except when we'd visit my grandma once in a while. She passed away years ago though."

"I did know him," Zelda smiled weakly. "I'm sorry to hear he passed away." She really was sorry. He had been a good guy and even though she had not been in love with him, she cared about him. She never saw him after the day he said goodbye at the bank.

"Both of my parents were in car accident three years ago," he looked so sad as he said it, that for a moment Zelda flashed back to John's eyes the day she had broken his heart. "I guess in a way, it was a blessing they went together. I've never seen two people more in love. Neither of them could have made it without the other one."

"That's really beautiful," Zelda wiped a tear from her eyes. She was glad John found someone to love. He had deserved happiness.

"I think so," Jack smiled. "My dad moved to L.A. because of a broken engagement, and he met my mom on the plane. She was a flight attendant…well a stewardess as they called them back then. She spilled a drink all over him and while she was trying to help him clean up, they started talking and Dad always said by the end of the flight he knew she was the one. He called his mother that night and asked for his grandmother's engagement ring."

"That's some story," Dobie put his arm around his ex-wife, noticing she was visibly shaken by John's son showing up as their daughter's fiancé. "I guess it all worked out then."

"For my parents, yeah," Jack smiled. "I wonder what happened to his fiancée though. My dad said she cheated on him and got pregnant by some other guy. It was her loss…believe me. My dad was a great guy. She couldn't have found anyone better."

Zelda smiled, "I'm sure she felt horrible for hurting him, but maybe they both found the partners who were right for them. She really did him a favor…right? He found your mom."

"True," Jack nodded and smiled. "And now I've found Gwen. My parents would have loved her." He squeezed her close, "I love her."

Gwen smiled and leaned into him, "I love you too," she said.


	27. Chapter 27

Jack had left the Gillis Grocery Store to head over to his aunt's house. He wanted to tell his family about the engagement. Even though he would have loved for Gwen to go with him, he knew she wanted time with her mother, so he told her he didn't mind going alone and possibly they could have dinner with his family before they flew home.

After Jack left, Zelda and Gwen drove home. Dobie had insisted on staying at the store in case some customers came in, and Zelda hadn't wanted to burst his bubble on such a special day so she let him stay without argument. On the way home Zelda wondered if she should tell her daughter that she was the woman who had cheated on Jack's father, but she decided to let the past rest and focus on the here and now. "I like Jack," she said seriously.

"I'm glad," Gwen smiled. "Mom…I love him, so much. No one has ever loved me the way he does. He doesn't take me for granted, or expect me to fix things for him…he just loves me."

Zelda smiled. She could tell Jack had inherited some of his father's best qualities. "How old is he?" she asked. "He's younger than you…right?"

"Only a year," Gwen looked confused. "How did you know that? God, do I look older than him?"

"Oh…no sweetie," Zelda replied quickly. "It's just…well I knew his dad…remember. I was pregnant with you when John moved to California, so I knew you had to be a little older than Jack. That's all. A year is barely anything…don't worry about it."

"How come you've never mentioned Jack's dad?" Gwen asked. "I've heard so much about the other friends you and Dad had. Uncle Maynard, your friend Jenny, that crazy Thailia who Dad was always chasing after…you never mentioned a John Brenner."

"Well, he _was_ my friend, but he left and I never heard from him again…so I didn't think to mention him," Zelda tried to sound convincing.

"He was _your_ friend?" Gwen asked. "Not Dad's? I didn't know you ever had any guy friends…"

Zelda turned down the road to her house. She was not getting out of this one. She pulled in the driveway and then looked seriously at her daughter, "He was my boyfriend."

"What?" Gwen gasped. "When? I thought you only dated Daddy."

Zelda sighed, "When your dad was in pharmacy school…we weren't together. We had decided to just be friends and to see other people. I started seeing John. He was a nice guy…a lot like Jack. I cared about him a lot…"

"Oh my God," Gwen suddenly understood what her mother was telling her. "You're the fiancée who cheated on him, aren't you? Daddy got you pregnant so you dumped John." She closed her eyes, "This is so embarrassing…"

"I broke off my engagement with John because I loved your dad…not because I was pregnant," Zelda insisted. "I didn't even know I was pregnant until a month later…I swear. Heck…I think your grandparents went to their deathbeds suspecting that John was _your_ father."

"That's disgusting," Gwen cringed. "Oh no…that's not true is it?" She felt sick at the thought.

"Of course not!" Zelda insisted. "Why would you ask something like that?"

Gwen sighed, "I don't know. I know it's not true…it just scared me for a minute. I mean…that would make Jack my brother…I think I might throw up…"

"Get that thought out of your mind," Zelda shuddered. "Trust me…John Brenner is not your father. I never loved him enough to make love to him." She looked seriously at her daughter, "You are Dobie Gillis's daughter."

Gwen nodded, "Okay, I'm sorry. I know…and I am Zelda Gilroy Gillis's daughter too." She hugged her mother. "I have great parents…I'm lucky."

"No sweetie," Zelda shook her head. "Your dad and I are the lucky ones." She kissed her daughter. "Let's go inside and talk about your wedding."


	28. Chapter 28

"Aunt Gwen!" Zelda and Gwen were sitting at the kitchen table as Gracie ran in and hugged her aunt. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey peanut," Gwen gave her a kiss and hug. "I wanted to come and visit. How's your baby brother?"

"He's in the living room," Gracie grabbed her aunt and pulled her away from the table. Zelda laughed and walked with them into the living room where her son and daughter-in-law were sitting with the baby.

"Hey Sis," George Gillis stood and hugged his older sister. "Long time, no see. What brings you back home?"

"My new nephew," Gwen smiled and looked at the baby in her sister-in-law's arms. "Oh…look at him…he's so tiny."

"You wanna hold him?" Chatsy Gillis asked, handing him to Gwen. "He's such a good baby…so calm and quiet. At least for now."

Gwen held him, and gently kissed his cheek. "He's beautiful. And you named him after Daddy…that's so cute."

"Actually, we named him Dobie Osborne Gillis," Chatsy explained, "because my father would have had a heart attack if his name hadn't been in there somewhere too."

Zelda laughed knowingly. She sometimes wondered how Chatsworth's daughter had ended up with her son, but she knew they were happy and in-love and no matter how different their families were, they had created their own beautiful, loving family. "I think it's a fair compromise," she said.

"Where's Dad?" George asked. "Is he at the store?"

Zelda nodded, "Of course…where else would he be?"

"Mom," George said seriously, "He has to know he's fighting a losing battle."

"Let's not talk about it now," Zelda said softly. She looked at her daughter cradling her grandson and smiled, "Looks like he loves his Aunt Gwen."

"We all do," Gracie put her arms around her aunt's waist. "I wish you lived closer to us, Aunt Gwen," she said seriously. "We miss you."

"I miss all of you too," Gwen said honestly. She looked down at her nephew, asleep in her arms and sighed. "I wish I lived closer, too."

"Aunt Gwen!" Greta smiled when she came in the front door. "I didn't know you were here." Gwen and Greta had always been close. They were both a lot alike and sometimes Greta could talk to her aunt about things she felt like her parents didn't understand. She was grateful Facebook, email, and texts had kept them connected. "I'm so glad you're here," she hugged her.

"I'm glad too," Gwen grinned. She handed the baby to Zelda who sat down cooing over her little grandson and sat next to her brother on the sofa. "I have some news," she announced. "I am getting married."

"What?" George asked is awe of his older sister's news. "To who?"

"His name is Jack Brenner," Gwen explained. "He came here with me, but he's visiting some of his family right now. You can meet him later."

"Does Dad know about this?" George asked. "He's gonna freak…"

"Yes…and he did not freak," Gwen argued.

"You're marrying some strange guy none of us have even heard of?" Georgie shook his head. "And Dad didn't freak? I can't believe that."

"I think he was surprised, but I'm not getting any younger…"she looked at her mother cradling her nephew. "Maybe I want to chance to have my own kids."

"Well you've waited too long," George argued.

"Georgie!" Chatsy interrupted him. "Don't say that. She's only three years older than us…she could do invitro…"

"_You_ want to have a baby?" Zelda asked. Gwen had never expressed that desire before. Her job was her baby, and Zelda couldn't believe that had changed.

She nodded, "Actually…I _am_ going to have a baby," she admitted. "In six months."

"What?" Zelda's eyes widened and she handed the baby back to Chatsy. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Oh boy," Gracie jumped up in down. "A baby!"

"Really Aunt Gwen?" Greta asked in disbelief.

"I told you…Dad's gonna freak," Georgie continued.

"He will not," Gwen disagreed. "I didn't do this on purpose. I'm forty-three. I didn't think this was even a possibility right now…but it happened…and I'm happy."

"Why didn't you think it was possible?" Zelda asked. "You're smarter than that Gwendolyn…"

Hearing her mother using the long form of her name made Gwen feel like a little girl, "Mom…most women my age have to go through all sorts of procedures to have a baby. I thought…I don't know…maybe I didn't think…"

"Your grandma had my youngest sister when she was forty-nine," Zelda sighed. "It's not impossible…but I guess you know that now." She sighed, "Are you sure you want this? You want a _baby_?"

Gwen nodded and smiled, "More than anything. It surprised me too."

Zelda reached over and hugged her, "Then I'm excited too. I love being a grandma."

"Do you think Daddy will be happy?" Gwen asked nervously.

"He's gonna have a heart-attack!" Georgie interrupted. "This is gonna kill him, Gwen. Really…what were you thinking?"

"Georgie!" Zelda looked at him and glared. "This is none of your business." She looked at her daughter's frightened face and smiled gently, "He'll be shocked, but he loves his grandbabies. He'll love this one too."

"Will you tell him?" Gwen asked nervously. "I don't think I can. I don't want to see his face if he's disappointed."

"You should tell him yourself," Zelda said seriously, but she understood how Gwen felt. She still remembered telling her own father that she had gotten pregnant before she married Dobie, and she could still picture the look on his face that let her know she had shamed him. It hurt. "But I'll tell him," she hugged her daughter. "If you want me to."

"Thanks Mom," Gwen held her mother close. It felt good to be home.


	29. Chapter 29

"Any more business?" Zelda asked as she walked into the store.

Dobie looked up from the register and shook his head, "Not much. What are you doing here? I figured you'd be home doting on the baby, or talking with Gwen. Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine," Zelda assured him. "Gwen went to meet Jack at his aunt's house and Georgie took Chatsy and the kids home to rest. I was all alone, so I decided to come over here and see if you needed help with anything."

Dobie shrugged, "Not much you can do." He sighed, "I have to close down the store…don't I?"

"I'm sorry," Zelda wanted to reach out and hold him, but she felt like the parameters of their relationship had been blurred lately. Afterall, he had kissed her earlier. She didn't want to confuse things even more. "I know this is going to be hard for you."

Dobie nodded, "I guess it's a good thing Gwen and Georgie never took an interest in the store," he sighed. "It would break my heart to take it away from them." He walked over to the door and turned the sign from "Open" to "Closed."

"It's only 4:00," Zelda looked at her watch.

"No sense in staying open longer," Dobie looked around the room. "We're not going to make any money today anyway. I might as well give it up for the day." He looked at the valentine display and picked up a box of chocolates, handing them to his ex-wife, "Here. I know these are your favorites."

Zelda took the candy and looked down at the box. It was the same kind he had given her on their first Valentine's Day date. He had given her the same ones every year since, up until their divorce. "Thanks," she couldn't restrain her emotions anymore. She reached out and hugged him. "Happy Valentine's Day."

He let her rest her head on his shoulder and he noticed her hair smelled like strawberries, the same way it had so many years ago. He had always loved that smell, "Happy Valentine's Day," he forced a smile.

Zelda pulled away from him and looked into his sad eyes, "Do you want to go somewhere and talk?" she asked.

"We can go upstairs," Dobie suggested and the two of them walked up to the old apartment. Dobie opened the door and looked at the old faded furniture and walls that needed paint. The whole place was depressing, and without the store he wasn't sure he even wanted to live there anymore, "I wonder if I can even sell this place?" he asked sitting on the sofa.

"Let's not worry about that now," Zelda said seriously as she sat next to him. "Let's just enjoy Gwen's visit…we can dwell on all this after she goes home."

"Okay," Dobie agreed. "I still can't believe she's home…and getting married. How are you doing with all this? I mean…John Brenner's son. What are the odds? Are you upset about it?"

"She loves him," Zelda answered. "I've never seen her so happy, Dobie. I was sure she'd be single the rest of her life…"

"Well, no man is good enough for her and we both know that," Dobie smiled.

Zelda laughed, "Of course we both know that…but I think Jack is a nice guy. He loves her."

"I'm glad she's happy," Dobie agreed.

"She asked me to tell you something," Zelda said slowly. "She was scared to come and talk to you herself."

"What?" Dobie asked nervously. "Is something wrong? She's okay isn't she?"

"She's fine," Zelda sighed. "She's going to have a baby…" She watched as her ex-husband's face went from worried to confused to hurt. She was glad she had broken the news instead of Gwen. She needed to make sure Dobie understood that he needed to be supportive of their daughter and not judgmental.

"She's _what_?" he asked. "What the hell…I'm going to kill that guy!"

"No you're not," Zelda shook her head. "Dobie…you're being ridiculous. She's a grown woman for crying out loud. She made this choice…she wants this baby."

"She never wanted a baby before," Dobie argued. "And definitely not before she got married. This is wrong…"

"You're being pretty hypocritical," Zelda pointed out. "We were in the same position ourselves a long time ago…"

"Yeah…and you broke that news to me on Valentine's Day too," Dobie scowled. "Do you get some kind of pleasure out of announcing unplanned pregnancies to me after I give you chocolates?"

"You're being an ass!" Zelda yelled. "Our daughter needs you on her side. You of all people should know how hard this is for her. Do you remember how my dad treated me when he found out I was pregnant? It nearly killed me. Don't you dare do that to her, Dobie!"

He looked at her angry face and knew she was right. What was he thinking? "You're right…I'm sorry. I'm just surprised. She's always been so smart and responsible…an unplanned pregnancy just doesn't seem like something that would happen to her. And she's forty-three. I thought any chance of this was over a long time ago."

"She thinks this is her last chance to have a baby," Zelda explained. "And she's probably right. I'm happy for her. I know she's going to have an adorable little baby."

"Our grandbaby," Dobie smiled. The thought of his only daughter having her first child was exciting. He never thought Gwen would have children, so this was going to be a special baby. "I'll tell her I'm happy…I promise. I _am_ happy."

"I know," Zelda smiled. She opened the box of candy and put one in her mouth. Then she handed one to Dobie who took a bite. "This has been my best Valentine's Day in years," she leaned over and kissed him. As she pulled away, she knew that there was no turning back.

He put his arms around her and leaned in, kissing her again. Zelda wrapped her arms around him and for the first time in a long time, they didn't want to let each other go.


	30. Chapter 30

"He's going to kill me," Zelda cried as they drove to her parent's house for dinner. "He's going to hate me."

"He's not going to hate you," Dobie sighed nervously. "And I'm the one he's going to kill." He was scared to death to tell Zelda's father about the baby, but it had to be done. It was a week before their wedding, and Zelda had planned to spend the day looking for a dress that would be comfortable and fit in the right way to hide her pregnancy. Unfortunately, she had run into her mother at the dress shop and it was only a matter of time before Edna Gilroy had figured out her daughter's secret. Zelda said her mother had burst into tears, and after she stopped crying she insisted Zelda come over and tell her father. Zelda tried to convince her mother to let the pregnancy remain a secret for now, but her mother had shamed her into coming over and facing her father's wrath. She'd been in hysterics all afternoon.

"I feel sick," Zelda sobbed. "I don't want to go."

Dobie looked at her and he wished she didn't have to go through so much. Her father wasn't an easy man to talk to, and he knew Walt Gilroy had never been loving and nurturing to his daughters. "I'll tell him," Dobie offered. "You don't have to do it."

"Dobie," Zelda cried. "You don't understand. My father already hates me…this is going to make it so much worse."

"Your father doesn't hate you," Dobie tried to assure her, but the way he'd seen her father treat all of his daughters didn't prove his point. "He'll be upset, but he'll get over it. My parents did."

They pulled into the driveway beside the Gilroy's house. Zelda was trying to wipe her eyes with her sweater sleeve as Dobie walked around the truck and opened her door. He helped her down from the truck and she tried to pull herself together. "Do I look okay?" she asked. "He's not gonna know the second I walk in…is he?"

Dobie shook his head. She was wearing a baggie sweater over her dress, even though it was late March and warm outside. She looked a mess. Her eyes were red and her cheeks were smudged with mascara. He reached over and tried to wipe away some of the smeared make-up. "Just stop crying, okay. You look fine. He won't know." He hoped he was right. She wasn't very big, but she _was_ showing. The doctor had said it was because she wasn't even five feet tall and her torso wasn't very long, but that hadn't made her feel better about things, so Dobie just kept telling her no one would notice. He knew she didn't believe him though.

"I really think I might throw up," Zelda insisted. "I don't feel well at all."

Dobie knew she was nervous, but her all day morning sickness was a problem too. It hadn't let up yet, even though the doctor kept saying it would soon. He was afraid she might really get sick in the middle of dinner with her parents, and that would not be good at all. He put his arm around her, "Just try to calm down," he tried to soothe her. "We'll get it over with, and then leave. If he's mean to you, I'll take care of it. Don't worry."

They walked to the door, and Dobie was about to knock when Zelda pushed the door open. It was her home after all. Dobie just hoped after tonight she would still be welcome there. He hoped things wouldn't be as bad as Zelda feared.

"Zelda!" her three youngest sisters ran up to her and grabbed her around the waist. "We missed you," they all chanted in unison.

"I missed you too my little munchkins," she smiled and kissed them.

"Girls, go to the table," Edna Gilroy smiled at the little girls. Then she looked coolly at her oldest daughter, "Dinner's ready," she said.

Dobie took Zelda's hand and she led him into the dining room. Five of Zelda's sisters still lived at home and the girls, ages 7-17, were seated around the table. Two of her sisters had already gotten married and moved away. He pulled out her chair and she sat down near her youngest sister. This was definitely not the time to mention the baby. It would have to wait until after dinner.

"So…do you two have all your wedding plans in place?" Walt Gilroy asked as he piled mashed potatoes on his plate.

"Yes sir," Dobie felt his voice crack and cleared his throat. "Everything's ready."

"Will you cut my meat?" Zelda's youngest sister asked her. Zelda looked at her and while the thought of looking at the gray slab of gravy covered meat made her sick, she picked up the knife and fork and started to cut, "Sure honey." Her stomach was doing flip-flops and she tried to take her mind off of it.

"Zelda, your mother told me you bought a new dress for the wedding today," Walt said without looking up from his plate. "Yellow…right Edna? Why didn't you get a nice, white dress?"

"I didn't have enough money for a real wedding gown," Zelda said softly. "Yellow is fine."

"She looks pretty in yellow," Dobie chimed in. "It's my favorite color."

Walt Gilroy seemed satisfied with that answer and went back to his food. There was nothing more but menial small talk throughout dinner. Dobie noticed that Zelda didn't do more than push the food around on her plate, and after a while she excused herself from the table and went to the bathroom. He assumed she was sick, and wanted to go check on her, but he figured that would look suspicious so he stayed at the table.

"You're not planning to back out of this wedding are you?" Walt asked, his voice serious. "You've done it before."

"Of course not," Dobie shook his head. "And I've never backed out…it was always her."

"Well hopefully she'll have sense enough to go through with it this time," Walt sighed. "She's the oldest and two of her younger sisters snagged husbands before she did. I was beginning to think she'd turn into an old maid." He finished his food and stood up from the table, "Join me in the living room," he said and Dobie stood as well. "Edna and the girls can clean up in here."

Dobie looked at Zelda's mother, who was already clearing the table. The younger girls were quickly helping her. They all seemed oblivious to the fact that Zelda wasn't back from the bathroom or that her plate was still full as the removed it from the table. Suddenly he realized how sad it must have been for her to grow up in that house. He remembered coming to her house for dinner when they were in high school, and Zelda's father had asked him then if he was going to marry his daughter. He said that if Zelda was married to him at least they'd get a discount on groceries and he wouldn't have to support her anymore. When her mother suggested that Zelda was too young to get married, Walt Gilroy insisted that she was the oldest and they had to marry her off soon because they had too many mouths to feed. She was only sixteen at the time. Back then, Dobie had been too concerned about himself to really notice how bad Zelda's life was, but now he knew and he felt terrible that she'd had to live like that. No one deserved to be treated as a burden by their own parents. He felt truly blessed to have the parents he did.

They sat in the living room and Edna Gilroy came in with coffee. Zelda followed her, and Dobie noticed how pale she looked. He stood up and led her to the sofa so she could sit next to him. "Are you alright?" he whispered and she nodded, but it wasn't a convincing nod.

"Walt," Edna said as she sat in the chair near her husband. "Zelda has some news."

"What news?" Walt asked. He looked at his daughter and her fiancé. "You're not backing out of the wedding are you? Girl…you have to marry Dobie while he's willing. You're not getting any younger, and from the looks of things you've been putting on weight too." His words were cruel, and yet it was as if he didn't even know how bad he sounded.

"I'm not backing out," Zelda's voice cracked. "I love Dobie."

"You've been saying that since you were a kid," Walt sighed. "It's about time you tricked him into it. So, what's your news. Must be big if your mother is sitting in here instead of doing the dishes."

"Mr. Gilroy," Dobie said seriously. "I love Zelda. I want to marry her…no one is tricking me." He swallowed the lump in his throat and planned to make the announcement about the baby, but then he heard Zelda do it instead.

"I'm pregnant," She said and he felt Zelda squeeze his hand. "We're going to have a baby…in September. We thought you should know." As she spoke, Zelda gripped his hand even tighter, to the point that it almost hurt.

"You're what?" Walt asked bitterly. Then he gave a disappointed laugh, "So…that's how you trapped him? You better hope he doesn't back out of that wedding. No one else will ever want you now."

Zelda started to cry. She didn't want to, but she couldn't stop herself. Dobie put his arm around her and looked seriously at her father, "I'm not backing out. I love her and I love our baby."

"You seem pretty sure of yourself," Walt replied. "Are you sure it's even yours…she was engaged to another man before you…and if she was loose enough to sleep with you, I'm sure she slept with him too."

"How can you talk about your daughter like that?" Dobie asked in disbelief.

"She gets what she deserves," Walt put his coffee cup down and looked at his wife. "This is your fault…you didn't teach her the values she needed to be a decent woman. You let her focus too much on books and school, trying to change the world. She's probably all caught up in this 'free love' movement I've been seeing on the news. That's why this happened."

Dobie stood up and grabbed Zelda's hand, pulling her with him. "This happened because we love each other," he shouted. "And thank God…because she deserves to have someone love her."

They headed toward the door when Walt called to them. They both turned to look at him. "That baby better be a boy," he said sternly. "If you're going to shame this family with an unwed pregnancy, I better get a grandson out of it."

"I hope it's a girl," Dobie said seriously. "And believe me…I would never let my son or daughter near you and your hatred anyway." Then he put his arm around his fiancée and led her out the door.


	31. Chapter 31

"What are we doing?" Dobie asked as he pulled away from the kiss.

Zelda gave a breathy sigh, "I don't know." She couldn't believe how nice it felt to kiss him again.

"We shouldn't do this," Dobie said honestly. "We just shouldn't…" There was a knock at the door and both of them were relieved. "Come in…" Dobie called out quickly.

The door opened and Gwen and Jack walked in. "Daddy," she said as she peeked around the door. "Oh, Mom…you're here too." She wondered if her mother had found the time to tell her father about the baby.

"Gwen," Dobie cleared his throat and scooted away from his ex-wife on the sofa. "Come on in, Princess."

Gwen and Jack walked into the room and sat down. Gwen looked around at the battered furniture and chipped paint, and Dobie was embarrassed that he hadn't taken better care of the place. "I wanted to show Jack the store," Gwen said. "I was surprised it was closed already. It's only a little after 5:00."

"Well, I decided to close early today," Dobie said, not wanting to ruin her visit by telling her he was closing the store for good.

Gwen looked around the apartment again, and then turned to Jack, "This used to be my grandparents place," she smiled. "I love it here. It's so warm and cozy."

"You do?" Dobie asked. "It's kind of a mess."

"It just needs paint and some new furniture," Gwen seemed perfectly content to be there. She looked at Jack and grinned, "I used to play here all the time when I was little. When Daddy was working, Mom would be busy helping him…and my grandma would bring me up here to help her bake cookies, or Grandpa would let me sit on his lap and watch TV. He used to tell me the apartment over the store was his dream come true, because everything important to him was all in one place…the business and his family. It made me want the same thing."

"It is a nice idea," Jack agreed. He put his arm around her and held her close.

"Speaking of family," Dobie said gently. "Your mom tells me there is going to be a new member of ours…congratulations."

"You mean you're happy?" Gwen asked nervously. "I was afraid you might be disappointed."

"Of course I'm happy," Dobie smiled. "And I think you'll be a great mom. This baby is one lucky kid."

"Thanks Daddy," Gwen jumped up and hugged him, tears in her eyes. "I love you," she cried. Then she looked back at Jack and then towards her parents, "I miss being home. Jack and I have been talking…and we're thinking maybe we don't want to raise the baby in L.A."

"You what?" Zelda asked, hopefully. "You mean…you want to come home? For good?"

Gwen nodded, "Yeah…I mean if we can find a place to live."

"What about your job?" Zelda asked.

Gwen shrugged, "It's not what I want anymore. Making deals for big businesses…I want more than that." She looked at her fiancé and smiled, "Jack is an attorney too…and he works for a non-profit legal aid organization. I did some pro-bono work with him for one of his clients…that's how we met."

"We were thinking about starting something like that here, in Central City," Jack announced. "If we can find a cheap enough building to run it out of…we'd like to work together."

"That's a great idea," Zelda smiled. She always knew Gwen had a big heart, and it was nice to see her dedicate her life to helping others. "So maybe before you leave we can look at some houses and office buildings, so you can make some plans. I'd love it if you were home before the baby was born. I want to be there."

Gwen reached out and hugged her mother, "I want you there…I'm kind of scared about it."

"Don't be scared honey," Zelda kissed her on the cheek. "Everything will be just fine."

"I was looking around town today," Jack said. "It's going to be hard to find a place. There's not much…business or housing wise here. I'm afraid it's going to take longer than we'd like."

"No it won't," Dobie said. He looked at his daughter and then looked around the old apartment, "You can live here…if you want. You said you loved the place…and I'll get rid of this old stuff and paint it. You can have the master bedroom…it's good sized. The baby can have my old room…we can make it really cute."

"Daddy," Gwen said in awe. "Where are you going to live?"

"I'll work something out," Dobie smiled weakly. Then he looked at Zelda and saw the smile on her face as well.

"We'll still need to find an office," Jack said. "I'm not trying to be a downer, but there isn't much to choose from and we have to have a place to work."

"Downstairs," Dobie added. "Once it's all cleared out…it'll make a nice space for your law office."

"The store!" Gwen gasped. "No Daddy!"

"Princess, the store isn't going to make it. I have to close it down anyway," Dobie said sadly. "I guess it's time for me to retire…and if this place isn't going to be the Gillis Grocery anymore…at least it will still be put to good use."

Gwen felt a lump in her throat and tears slid down her cheeks, "Daddy…I know you love the store."

"I do," Dobie agreed. "But I love you more…and I want you to come home. This is a perfect solution."

"Can we call it the Gillis-Brenner Legal Firm?" Gwen asked her fiancé. "I want it to still say 'Gillis' on the window. That meant a lot to my grandpa."

Jack smiled, "It sounds like a good name to me."

"I think the place should be closed out in about a month," Dobie informed them. "I'll start on a going out of business sale tomorrow. Then it's all yours." He couldn't believe how at peace he was with the decision. Maybe he wouldn't have the store anymore, but at least he'd have his daughter back. And there would be a Gillis working and living in the building, and that was what his father had always wanted…security that could be passed down through the generations. It was a blessing.


	32. Chapter 32

Zelda looked beautiful. As Dobie stood with her, facing the judge at City Hall, he knew he was making the right choice. He wasn't even scared. They were going to spend the rest of their lives together. They were going to be a family. Things were going to be okay.

As they exchanged vows, he saw his parents sitting in the room and couldn't help be notice their tears. His mother was sobbing, but she was happy. She just couldn't get through a wedding without crying. His father was tearful too, and it made his heart joyous to see that kind of emotion from him. Zelda's parents hadn't even bothered to show up and he knew it had hurt her. He was glad she had a new family now and he promised himself he would always make sure she was happy. She deserved to know she was loved and cared about, and she'd spent too many years without that.

He slipped the ring on her finger and smiled. Then they kissed, and he whispered, "I love you." She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him again. Then they walked hand in hand out to the hallway and wedding was over. They were joined together as man and wife…nothing was ever going to tear them apart.

"Congratulations!" Dobie's mother hugged them tight. "Let me take some pictures." She pulled out her camera. Dobie and Zelda stood in front of the plain white wall. Zelda held her small bouquet of flowers in front of her, hoping to camouflage the fact that she was pregnant in her wedding pictures, and Dobie put his arm around her and held her close. Their smiled were warm…genuine. They were happy and at that moment neither of them could imagine a time when they wouldn't be. His mother snapped a few pictures, and then they all went outside where they hugged again.

Then Dobie helped Zelda into the truck and they drove off, staring back at his parents who were waving goodbye. Dobie looked at his new wife sitting next to him, her hand delicately rubbing her growing stomach and her eyes trying to blink back tears. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Zelda looked at him, a few tears staining her cheeks, "They didn't even come," she sniffled. "I thought they'd come."

"They're being selfish," he took one hand from the wheel and pulled her close to him. "This is their loss…and they'll figure that out eventually. And if they don't…you still have me."

"I know," Zelda leaned her head on his shoulder.

"We're going to have a great weekend," Dobie said trying to cheer her up. They didn't have enough money for a real honeymoon and he needed to get back to the store anyway, but they were going to spend the weekend at a hotel a few towns away and he was determined to make it romantic…something she would always remember.

"I know we will," Zelda dried her tears and forced a smile.

Dobie noticed her place her hand back on her stomach and he was worried something was wrong. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked again. "Are you getting sick?"

Zelda shook her head, "I'm fine," she promised. "It's just…I keep feeling these little flutters. I think it's the baby moving."

"Really?" Dobie smiled. "Already? Isn't it kind of early?"

Zelda shrugged, "The doctor said it could happen soon…especially since I'm already starting to show." She laughed, "I think our kid is advanced."

Dobie laughed, "I think she takes after her mother."

"Dobie…" Zelda's voice was serious. "Thank you…for loving this baby…for not caring if it's a boy or a girl…for being a good Daddy." Her eyes were full of tears again and this time she couldn't hold them back.

"Oh honey," Dobie glanced over at her, trying to keep his eyes on the road but wanting to pull over so he could embrace her. "I will always love this baby…I'm going to do my best to be a good father…always." He saw a small diner on the side of the road and pulled in, then he reached over and hugged his wife close to him. "I love you," he kissed her softly. He put his hand on the swell of her stomach, "Both of you…more than anything."

Zelda smiled, "We love you too."

Dobie looked at the diner and then at his pregnant wife and smiled, "Since we're here…should we get some lunch?"

Zelda laughed, "You don't have to ask me twice." He walked around the truck and helped her down. She chuckled, "I have the most ridiculous craving for French fries and chocolate syrup."

Dobie cringed, "That's disgusting," he said and then he laughed. "I guess we'll have to see what we can do about that." He put his arm around her as they walked into the diner. He couldn't remember the last time he had been so happy. He had a wife who loved him, and baby who was going to change his life, and for the first time…his life had a purpose. Things were never going to be the same…they were only going to get better.


	33. Chapter 33

Zelda flipped on the light as she and Dobie walked into her house that night. Gwen and Jack had gone to dinner with his family and she had loaned them her car, so Dobie offered to drive her home. "This has been some night," she said as she put her purse on the table and sat down in the living room. "I can't believe Gwen is coming home. Finally…"

"Me neither," Dobie said as he walked past her. "I'm going up to use the bathroom," he walked slowly up the stairs, but turned in the bedroom instead of the bathroom. He walked over to the dresser and pulled out Zelda's jewelry box. He rummaged through the earrings and necklaces until he found what he was looking for in the bottom. Her wedding and engagement rings had been welded together years before, and as he pulled the ring out of the box he wondered if she missed wearing it. He walked back downstairs and sat next to her.

"We can start moving the old furniture out this weekend," Zelda suggested. "That way Gwen and Jack can move in as soon as they get things taken care of in L.A. Maybe Georgie and the girls can help."

"Sure," Dobie agreed.

"And then we can start the painting," Zelda suggested. "I'll ask what colors they'd like in the rooms and pick up the paint this week…Oh Dobie…this is so exciting."

He smiled, "Zelda…I want to talk about what happened earlier…"

"We are talking about it," she seemed confused. "Our Gwendolyn is coming home…she's opening her own law firm…"

"I don't mean that," he said seriously. "I mean what happened before Gwen and Jack came to the apartment…about you and me."

Zelda nodded slowly, "Oh…"

"I've been thinking a lot the past couple of days," Dobie said truthfully. "About us…about why I fell in love with you…and about why we decided to get divorced."

"I guess I've been thinking about it too," Zelda replied.

"We were never one of those couples who agreed on everything…" Dobie said seriously. "And I think as the years went on, the disagreements seemed to outweigh the good times. After a while, we kind of started to forget why we were together in the first place."

Zelda nodded, "It was just different once the kids were out of the house. Do you realize from the time we got married until Georgie graduated from college, it was never just the two of us? We always had someone else to depend on us. We forgot how to depend on one another."

"And it didn't help that I started spending all my time focusing on the store," Dobie added. "I've been trying to keep that place afloat for more than a decade. I know that wasn't easy on you."

"Well, I could have tried harder," Zelda admitted.

"I know we've had problems…lot's of problems," Dobie sighed. "But I never fell out of love with you, Zelda…I've always loved you."

She felt the tears stinging her eyes, "I love you too," she said softly. "You've given me the biggest gifts of my life. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Then what have we been doing the last five years?" Dobie asked. "Pretending to be happier apart than we were together? I hate living over the store…"

Zelda laughed a little, "I hate this big empty house."

Dobie smiled and pulled her ring out of his pocket, "Will you marry me?" he asked. "Again…"

Zelda gasped when she saw the ring in his hand and then she put her arms around his neck and kissed him, "Of course…" she smiled. "I thought you'd never ask."

He slipped the ring on her finger, "I was thinking maybe we could get remarried on our anniversary. It's only a month away."

"That'd be nice," Zelda agreed. Then she stood up and took his hand in hers. They walked upstairs together, "Happy Valentine's Day, Dobie," she said as she kissed him once more.

Dobie smiled, "You will always be my valentine."

**The End**


End file.
